


When The Night Is Over

by hamine2



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Kara Danvers Needs a Hug, Lena Luthor Finds Out Kara Danvers is Supergirl, Lena Luthor Needs a Hug, Psychological Torture, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2019-11-27 04:22:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18189722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hamine2/pseuds/hamine2
Summary: Follow up to 4x15.Lex Luthor kidnaps his own sister, Lena, to lure Supergirl into his trap.Decided to keep the CEO safe, the Girl of Steel takes her place under the madman's hand.





	1. The Yawning Grave

**Author's Note:**

> (This fic will be entirely based on Lord Huron's beautiful music.)

_'I know the rain like the clouds know the sky._  
_I speak to birds and tell them where to fly._  
_I sing the songs that you hear on the breeze._  
_I write the names of the rocks and the trees.'_

The TV speakers announced the inevitable.

Lex Luthor was free from the claws of justice once again. And on his newest path of destruction, he had dragged his sister along.

From what the DEO knew so far, he had saved himself from death using the Harun-El, and with the help of Eve Teschmacher, kidnapped Lena and vanished into oblivion.  
They also found out that he had been the master mind behind the downfall of the president, the rising hatred towards aliens, and Agent Liberty.

"That sneaky son of a bitch!" Alex shouted, slamming her fist against a wall. "He plotted everything, didn't he? To the tiniest little detail! He made us drift apart Kara! The whole memory wipe thing, it's his fucking fault!"

The older Danvers was seeing red.

J'onn had just given the Director her memories back a couple of minutes ago, after a sobbing Kara demanded him to do so. They were running out of options and time, and they couldn't fight against Lex Luthor alone. It was simply impossible; they had to switch their strategy.

"He played us like a chess game. He knew where to put each piece, and thanks to him, we are losing. That fucking man!" She slammed her other fist against the wall, and her sister flinched.

"Alex, I know you want to kill him, we all do. But there is no use wailling in rage, we need to stick together and make a plan so we can stop all of this madness before something worse happens."

As if on cue, the spearkers announced yet another cruel twist of fate.

"- Breaking news, the LCorp social media page has been hacked by none other than Lex Luthor, who, about five minutes ago, left a video message, not towards his nemesis Superman, but to Supergirl. Now, we wonder how he got access...-"

Before the reporter on screen could finish, Kara retrieved her phone from her back pocket and started digging for more information.

And oh, she found it.

"Say hi to the world, sis." the older Luthor ordered, yanking Lena's raven hair back so she could look up at the camera, face engulfed in rage. He then looked at the lens too, smilling like a true psychopath. "I know you are watching this, Supergirl. See this precious little thing? This beautiful, smart, caring woman you know and love?" As he talked, it seemed like his eyes were burning holes straight through her soul. "She will be gone in twenty four hours if you don't show up to face me. I will paint the streets red, and not only with her blood. I want you and your kind to remember, _I_ am the man of tomorrow. _I_ control what happens and what doesn't. _I_ tell men how to live, women how to behave, and aliens how to die. So, unless you want to see my wrath, come and find me. Near where rivers cross, high where buildings grow, where the air is thick and oh so cold." He winked, letting his sister's head drop. "Good luck."

\---

  
_'Oh you fool, there are rules, I am coming for you._  
_Darkness brings evil things, oh the reckoning begins.'_

Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, green eyes watered before the madness in sight. The man standing before her, laughing as she was punched by the dirty hands of his minions, was not her brother, she reminded herself.

Her brother had died the day he murdered thirty seven innocent people and almost destroyed the entire earth.

"I will ask you once again, sweetie." He crossed his arms. "What is supergirl's secret identity."

"I will answer once again, you idiot. I don't know."

Another punch was delivered, straight to her jaw. She could feel the blood pooling in her mouth, dripping down her chin. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of defeat. With a whimper, she straightened up again, and stared at him coldly.  
She wasn't going to back down.

_'I tried to warn you when you were a child._  
_I told you not to get lost in the wilds._  
_I sent you omens and all kinds of signs._  
_I taught you melodies, poems and rhymes.'_

Lex paced around the dirty cemented room, dark suit iluminated by the continuous flickering of the fluorescent lights above their heads. They were in a abandoned office building, she was sure.

The desks were old and covered in dust, papers flew like birds on a summer breeze, but she still could notice the simple remains of the executive life.

"I told you years ago, in this very floor, how dangerous a creature like Clark was. I told you how his god like presence would ruin humanity, how it would make us weak, dependable." He stopped pacing. "Back then, you agreed. What changed?"

"I trusted you, and I didn't know who he truly was." She spit fire. "Now I trust _him,_ and I don't know who _you_ are. That's what changed, Lex."

One of his minions was about to hit her again, she was certain. She closed her eyes, waiting for the impact, but it never came. Instead, she felt slim fingers slide over her cheeks, in a way that almost seemed caring. But she knew in her heart that it wasn't.

"You are lost, Lena. You didn't listen to my warnings like I wish you had. I truly want you to find you way to who you were, but you seem far too gone. You have fallen under their Kryptonian spell like the rest of this country." The hand withdrew, and she dared to look at it's owner. "I can't make any promises, but I will try to make you see the truth again. They are the enemy, sis. Not me." He walked towards a big glass window to her left, and stared at the wide peaceful city. "You will thank me for this later."

And then something hit her back from behind, and she was out of it.

_'Oh you fool, there are rules, I am coming for you._  
_You can run but you can't be saved._  
_Darkness brings evil things, oh the reckoning begins._  
_You have opened the yawning grave.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really liked the idea of Lex believing himself to be some kind of powerful being, almost like a god of death that enjoys playing with people's lives. That's why I chose this song.  
> (By the way, this fic will be entirely based on Lord Huron's beautiful music.)


	2. Into The Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara makes a hard decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens...

_'Tell my family I had to leave_  
_I'm going away_  
_Tell my friends for me_  
_They'd all agree_  
_That I gotta get out of here'_

Kara had been fighting with her sister about an hour now.

Studying the video made by Lex, Winn was able to solve his riddle and figure out his exact location.

"'Near where rivers cross, high where buildings grow, where the air is thick and oh so cold'. He is talking about the LexCorp Tower, of course!" Turns out the old building had been severely damaged in the fight between General Zod and Superman, and with Lex's later emprisonment and Lena's relocation of the company, it had been abandoned for quite a while. "It's situated between Hudson and Redwood street, both named after rivers. It's in the center of a growing business park. And it rises through the always polluted air of Metropolis, thus the 'always thick and cold air' he mentions. We found him."

Those were great news, indeed.

But they were only predecessors to the shocking reveal Superman had made.

While scanning the area with his X-ray vision, Clark had realized that under the bulding, a mysterious mechanism was buried. Flying closer, he managed to get a better look.

It was a bomb. A big, powerful, menacing bomb.

The reason of Alex and Kara's actual argument.

"Going in alone? Of course I'm not letting you do that!"

"If the DEO comes with me, he'll blow the whole place up."

"Not if we shoot him first!"

"He knows that will be our first instinct. He'll be prepared. He's not in on this to get killed."

"I DON'T CARE WHAT HE'S IN FOR, KARA!" the Director snapped, grabbing the super by her shoulders. "Are you hearing yourself right now?"

"Of course I am!" she barked back with a mixture of anger and sadness. "I don't want to do this, but there is no other way! Trading places with Lena and doing what he says is the best chance we've got at keeping people safe!"

"Kara, you'll be signing a death sentence!"

"I know." She answered with heaviness. "But it's my job to save as much people as I can. And Lex... He doesn't feel compassion at all. He will kill Lena... And he will kill an entire city if I don't stop him."

"I can't sit here and watch my sister die." Alex said, pain already pouring from her eyes.

"I'm not planning on dying, although it may happen."

"Kara..."

"I want to buy you and the DEO time. If he has me, he won't kill me right away. He'll make me pay for whatever crime I've committed in his mind, and he'll make me suffer for as long as he can."

"Oh, so you want me to lend you to him so he can torture you?!" The red haired shouted, even more distressed. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"Lex is like a kid that wants his toy! If we give it to him, and keep him distracted long enough, maybe you and Lena can find a way to turn this game around! To disarm the bomb!"

"THAT'S INSANE, KARA!"

"IT'S THE ONLY CHOICE I HAVE!"

It was clear as water that the Kryptonian wasn't giving up.

"I don't..." Alex denied the stupid plan with her head, clenching her teeth and frowning as hard as she could.

"Come find me when we are winning, okay?" She cried, walking away. "And never forget that I love you."

"Kara, wait!"

It was too late. Her sister had already escaped into the starless night, flying through the grey rainclouds of National City with a heavy heart.

\---

_'I'm gonna sail that boat right into the sun_  
_Cause everybody knows that's how it's done_  
_Now don't you cry and don't you wait_  
_If I meet my end, well, well that'd be my fate'_

As she made her way to Metropolis, Kara wondered how her funeral would be. She wondered if Clark would make sure her Kryptonian heritage was remembered, or if she was going down like any other human, laid back on a casket for the rest of eternity.

She hoped her mother would be there to see it, at least. She didn't want to leave without giving her a late chance of goodbye.

It was horrible, not knowing what future would make of her. Not knowing whether she would walk peacefully into Rao's light, or if she would be painfully forced into it.

The only thing that kept her going in that moment, was her desperate need to save Lena.

"I'll keep you safe. I'm not leaving you." She mouthed as the outline of the LexCorp tower grew closer and closer. "I promise."

_'Give my things away_  
_Forget my name_  
_I'm leaving today_  
_If you see me again_  
_It'll be my skeleton_  
_Cause I won't be back alive'_

When she landed on Hudson street, rain had already drenched her. She took a deep breath, knelt down on the pavement, and said her last prayers.

When she rose back on both feet, she was at peace.

Straightening her back and squaring her shoulders, she quietly made her way into the empty bulding. From what her cousin had said, Lex and his men were at the top floor.  
Using her super speed, she ran up the stairs. When she reached the end of her road, she heard a pained scream.

"Lena!" the Kryptonian barged in the abandoned office, eyes burning red.

"Oh, she came." Lex, who had been staring through a window at the thunderstorm outside, turned around, smilling at her.

"Supergirl, leave!" the CEO begged, trashing against the ropes that kept her in place.

When she took in the ragged state of the businesswoman, something inside Kara broke. Her hair was messy, covered in dried blood. Her face was swollen, bruised black and blue, and her clothes were torn, like those of a castaway left in a jungle for too long.

If that's what the madman had done to his own sister, she couldn't imagine what horrible things he would do to her.

"Let her go, Lex." She inmediatly demanded, clenching her fists so tight her knuckles turned white. "You have me, now let her go."

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Lena screamed in desperation.

The mass murderer found it amusing.

"I am a man of my word, so I will." He clarified, walking around so he could stand between the two women. "But first, I need the truth. And since my lovely sister wouldn't cooperate with me, you dear, will have to."

"What do you want?" She replied with harshness.

"I want you to tell me your name." He stated, shaking her confidence. "No, wait. I forgot to mention. I already know that."

"You... Bastard!"

At her anger, he laughed.

"TELL HER, YOU COWARD!" He then shouted, pushing Kara back. For a moment, she was confused at his sudden show of strenght. But then came the reminder. Harun-El. "TELL HER HOW YOU PRETENDED TO BE HER FRIEND FOR YEARS, JUST SO YOU COULD SPY ON OUR FAMILY!-"

"-DON'T PUT WORDS IN MY MOUTH! I DIDN'T TELL HER BECAUSE I WANTED HER SAFE, BECAUSE I WAS HER FRIEND!" the blonde replied, throwing him on the ground. "AND I LIED BECAUSE I LOVE HER!"

Before she could jump on top of his body and kill him, a mechanic sound made her look up.

A man had a gun pointed at Lena's head, in a silent order for her to back off.

"If that's true, Supergirl, you would tell me." He stood up. "What's your name."

_'You are as soft as a feather_  
_You are as gorgeous as ever_  
_You are exactly what I should want_  
_But I don't want you_  
_No I don't want you_  
_So I'm going_  
_Away'_

Perhaps this was the final push that she needed to go through with her plan. She was sure that, if Lena knew, she would for hate her with all of her might. If she hated her, she wouldn't miss her.

Therefore, the blonde wouldn't feel so guilty to die.

"My name..." Her voice faltered, and her icy eyes reached for her favourite shade of green. She didn't want to come out like this, but she couldn't let the love of her life perish. "My name is Kara Zor-El. Also known as Kara Danvers."

"No..." She heard Lena cry, and couldn't keep her tears at bay any longer. "HOW COULD YOU?!"

"Let her go, Mark." Lex ordered to the gun's owner, who proceeded to cut loose the ropes around the sobbing CEO.

"You'll pay for this." Kara promised to him, watching her best friend being dragged forcefully out of the room.

"I'm not so sure about that."

Before she could process anything else, the older Luthor raised his hand. From his suit, he retrieved a black and green pistol, and shot a perfect hole through her chest.

_'I wouldn't survive one more day...'_

She fell on the ground, landing on her back, and felt the world around her spin as blood spread all around her.

  
"Goodnight, Girl of Steel. I'll be waiting for you to wake up."

_'I'm gonna sail that boat right into the sun_  
_Cause everybody knows that's how it's done_  
_Now don't you cry and don't you wait_  
_If I meet my end, well, well that'd be my fate'_

 


	3. The Stranger

_'I can't trust anyone or anything these days_  
_If you are who you say you are then show me your face_  
_You came out of the ocean like you came out of a dream_  
_Your voice it sounds familiar, but you are not what you seem'_

When Supergirl came rushing in through the stairway door, her first reaction was to yell, to tell her to get out of there, that her coming to Metropolis was exactly what Lex had wanted all along.

She expected the hero to fight, to punch him, to give into her impulses, to release all of her powers at once.

Instead, what she saw, was a woman unafraid to die. She was cold at first, almost distant. Lena knew something was wrong right then, that this was not her typical behaviour, and she felt worried.

When her bravado finally showed, it was not in the way she had foreseen.  
This was not a god fighting a blood thirsty titan, this was a woman scared of losing her friend.

And for a moment, nothing made sense.

Until the holy name was said with emptiness, and turned pagan in the tongue of it's owner.

Kara Danvers was Supergirl.

The woman she loved... Was both of them.

She felt betrayed. She felt hurt. But most of all, she couldn't bear the thought of the blonde being captured by her brother.

Her heart was breaking, and so was hers, apparently. The tears that slid down her face were proof of it.

As Lex's minion dragged her out of the office, she hoped to say something meaningful. But words were stuck in her throat, her body ached, and the walls closed in on her.

She heard a bang, and quickly turned her head around to take one last look at the Kryptonian. Now, she wished she hadn't. Lex had shot her, she realized, walking down the stairs. Lex had shot her with a Kryptonite bullet, and she most likely was going to die.

She wanted to run back. To punch the poor devil that was dragging her out of the building, and to go up looking for Kara. But she was in panic, and her limbs wouldn't move, and her mind was working at a pace no normal human could handle.

She still couldn't believe it. Her best friend, her partner in crime, had lied to her. And now she was gone. And she didn't have any reasons of answers to why she did it.

_'All your words of comfort cannot take away my doubt_  
_I've decided if it kills me I'll find out what you're about_  
_I can't trust anyone or anything these days'_

The man kicked her into the pouring rain and went back inside. As the blood washed away and her body began to shake, Lena looked around, trying to get a grip on her reality.

She knew she was in Hudson street. She knew she was at the old LexCorp tower, where some of her brother's most nefarious crimes took place. She could remember each explosion, each scream, each plot. And it was all coming back to her at once.

Without knowing what else to do, she walked numbly throught the empty street, abandoned by everything but the storm above. She was crying, shivering, and she was broken, in every single possible way.

Then, a red dot descended from the sky. His crest was familiar, as was his face, but she didn't know if she could trust him. His mouth moved, but no sound emerged. He took a step foward, she moved backwards.

"Where is Kara?" the mention of damned name caught her attention.

"Up." she struggled to reply. "Save her. Please."

The broad shouldered man moved, and pressed his fingers to an ear piece, whispering some mumbled words.

"Stay here." He ordered, took out his cape, and laid it around her.

Then, he flew off again.

A short time passed and she heard sirens. She turned around. Police cars were all around her.

"Please." she said soflty to the blowing wind. "Don't... K-kill me."

A door was yanked open all of the sudden. She flinched at the sound, but when she looked around to see where it came from...

"LENA!"

She knew that voice. It was sweet, it was calming, it was...

"Sam." she cried onto her shoulder, wrapping her arms around the woman in despair. "He got her, Sam... Lex... He..."

"We'll find her. We'll get her back. I swear."

"She lied to me." Her voice was weak, fragile.

"She loved you."

That affirmation was real, but it didn't take the pain away, not even a little bit.

\---

_'I know what you want and why_  
_Of all the strangers you're the strangest that I've seen_  
_I'm not afraid to die_  
_I can't trust anyone or anything these days_  
_You are not the one you say you are.'_

One minute she was under treacherous skies, hearing the earth weep for the loss of it's adopted child. Next, she was in a hospital, IV connected to her arm, being assaulted with a hundred questions from a small group of cops.

"Gentlemen, I've stood here in silence for far too long. You must go. Now. Come back tomorrow, when Miss Luthor isn't recovering from massive psychological trauma, and she can actually speak with enough coherence to give you a proper answer." Sam shushed the men out of her room, rolling her eyes once she closed the door. "Idiots."

"Thanks." she said with shyness, watching her friend walk over to her bed.

"I called Alex. She's landing in half an hour at the airport. She's happy you're fine."

"I'm not." the admission was bitter, but true.

"Lena... I know I just threw these assholes out for asking the same thing, but... What happened in the tower?"

"Sam..." Her tone was meant to be a warning.

"Come on, you can't keep it in. Ever since Reign, I... I learned it's better to talk about the bad things that happen. Keep it inside you, especially the hard stuff... It isn't healthy. It won't help."

The raven haired woman took a deep breath and tried to hold her defenses up, but failed miserably.

"I'm sorry." she cried, and quickly was held by two loving arms.

"It's okay... You'll be okay."

"Kara..." the younger Luthor whispered. "She lied to me."

"What?"

"She's... She's Supergirl." she spat out in anger, that soon melted into sadness, and shortly after, regret. "She took my place. Lex has her. He's going to experiment with her, I know it... He's going to hurt her... Just like he hurt me."

"So your wounds... It was him who..."

Her accusations died in her tongue. That man was going to rot in hell, and she would make sure of it.

"He's a monster!" Lena continued, and then looked up at her friend. "I need to save her. I need to get her back. I want to hear her voice, to have an explanation, to talk to her again. But I know... He'll kill her. Just like he was going to kill me." She breathed out. "I don't know who to trust anymore. Everyone I know had lied to me. Everyone but you."

"Lena..."

"Promise me you'll help me get back to her. Promise me you'll help me find her."

"I promise."

It truly wasn't a hard vow to make. She wanted answers as much as her friend did, and she also cared a whole lot for the missing woman, first for being one of the kindest people that she knew, and now for knowing that that she'd saved life -and her daughter's- countless times.

\----

_'I can't trust anyone or anything these days_  
_If you are who you say you are then show me your face_  
_Know enough to say you are not what you claim to be_  
_I've kept close watch upon you and I don't like what I see'_

Exactly forty minutes later, both women heard a persistent knock on the door. Sam kissed Lena's head gently and made her way to the locked entrance, letting a nervous Alex Danvers come inside.

"How are you?" She asked the short haired woman, burying her in a comforting hug.

"Like crap." She admitted as she parted, latching her eyes on Lena. "Thank god you're alive."

The CEO was ready to torn the Director apart, but upon feeling her desperate embrace, she let go of her twisted intentions.

"Why... Why'd you let her come after me?"

"I didn't. I told her we should make a better plan. She didn't listen, and flew away... I tried to stop her, but I couldn't. She loved you too much to let you die, and she believed you were this country's only hope of stopping Lex."

"Have you seen my face? He destroyed me. He kicked me like a stray dog until I broke..." She replied. "I'm weak. I could never stop him."

"Maybe not physically, but mentally... You can." Alex parted, letting her body rest again on the bed. "Here's the deal. Your brother installed a Kryptonite bomb under the LexCorp tower. He also planted one in the LCorp building, beneath your vaults. They have a timer. Three days, and both Metropolis and National City will be gone." The revelation had both Samantha and Lena frozen in shock. "Supergirl... Kara, was sure the only person who could stop both timers was you. And trust me, I've sent my best agents down there to inspect the bloody thing, and they've come up empty handed. You are our only hope."

"What makes you think I'll be able to do it?"

"You're a expert chemist, hacker, engineer... You're a genius" she spoke without hesitation. "And besides, me and Kara... We trust you."

"You're lying."

"I'm not."

"If you trusted me, you would have told me the truth."

"Until yesterday, not even I knew the truth." Alex let out a dry laugh, raising her shoulders. "J'onn had to wipe me out of my memories. I could not remember who my own sister was. You know why?"

"Why?"

"Because she... Her existence... Was a threat." the Director continued, closing her eyes. "We didn't tell you because a lot of people would have tried to kill you... I was kidnapped before and almost drowned in a tank just because I was her sister. I honestly only kept on fighting because I knew how broken she would be if I died. She has lost so much, you don't even know. Her whole planet... It exploded, right in front of her eyes."

"Krypton..." Samantha drifted off.

"She remembers it every night." Alex agreed with sorrow. "You may not trust us anymore, Lena, I get it. But please. believe in what I say. Everything she did, she did because she loved you. Because she wanted you safe. She traded her life for yours, because she had faith in you."

"So you want me to believe she lied to me because she loved me?" 

"Yes."

\---

  
_"I can't escape the feeling that you'll get me in the night_  
_I sleep with one eye open, and I'm not afraid to fight_  
_I can't trust anyone or anything these days'_

Both Alex and Samantha had fallen asleep a long time ago, but the CEO's mind didn't seem to turn off. The lights were all on upstairs, and she could hear her loud thoughts running around, trying to organize the ever growing collection of little boxes in a way that made the most sense.

Hours had passed since she last saw the Girl of Steel, bathing the floor in a crimson sea. Yet, her feelings were still raw, and new. She tried, but couldn't fully hate her. She wanted to forgive her, but had no motivation to do so. She was stuck in a emotional grey area, and she hated it. She wanted to feel something concrete.

So she made the mistake of closing her eyes and dream.

She remembered her coffee dates with the blonde. The way her smile brightened every time she saw her face, or how her hugs always smelled of cinnamon and honey. She saw her loose golden strands of hair fly in the wind, as she looked down from the balcony of her office, staring at the city below in pure love and appreciation.

Then her dreams shifted. She saw her worried gazes everytime she made an insensitive comment about inmigration. Watched how tears fell down her cheeks when a new law was proclaimed, aiming to remove her freedom piece by piece. She felt the fabric of her suit, the heaviness of her cape, and the importance of her crest.

She opened her eyes, and everything clicked. 

_'But now I know what you want and why_  
_Of all the strangers you're the strangest that I've seen_  
_I'm not afraid to die_  
_I can't trust anyone or anything these days_  
_You are not the one you say you are'_

She stood determined over her sore feet. Waking up both of her friends, she asked to be taken to the nearest bomb. Filling out her papers for an early release, the trio hopped in a black car, making their way back to the haunted tower.

She understood now why the reveal had hurt her so much.

All of the other reasons were valid, but she finally had found the biggest of them all.

She too, had lost people she cared about.

Both Kara Danvers and Supergirl were gone.

_'Now that I've seen your face, I'm haunted by the letters of your name'_

The only thing they left behind was a stranger.

Kara Zor-El.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Opinions so far?


	4. The Man Who Lives Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex sends a message.

_'They said we're all gonna die, but I'll never believe it_  
_I love this world and I don't wanna leave it'_

When Kara woke up, she still felt a breath-taking amount of pain in her chest. She tried to move her hands and reach for the bloody wound, but she couldn't. Her wrists were tied down to the cold metal table she laid on.

Wait, where was she again?

"Supergirl! Nice to see you awake."She turned her head around, seeing Lex Luthor in all of his glory, standing nearby a holographic map of National City. If she had to guess, they no longer were in Metropolis. "I have good and bad news to give you. Wanna choose?"

She didn't answer.

He replied with laughter.

"Good news is, my sister was able to defuse the first bomb, just like I thought she would."

"There's more of them?" She asked in desbelief.

He stopped faking his enjoyment, walked towards a small metal table filled with buttons, and pressed a blue one.

The holographic map seemed to zoom out on itself, stopping in what Alex once had called a "Winkel Tripel Projection" - or a flat version of earth.

Lex then pressed another button, a red one, and multiple scarlet dots stained the projection.

Oh no.

"I want you to see this, Kara, before you die. Because don't think otherwise, you will." he promised, crossing his arms. "I want you to know that you'll die without saving the world. I want to shatter your Kryptonian ego to dust." the rage in his eyes made her skin crawl. "Ask me about the bad news." she stared at him with pity, scrutinizing his insanity. "ASK ME!" she flinched at the outburst, but didn't answer. "Fine. Have it your way."

His hand went out to the table again, and this time, he pulled a lever.

Suddenly, she saw green sparks come out from the surface underneath her. Then, she felt like thunderbolts were running all over her body. She arched her back and screamed in desperate agony, as the pain in her chest grew stronger and stronger. Finally, the sparks stopped, and she fell on her back with a thump.

"Are you gonna ask me now?" He smiled sardonically.

"Did you... Just eletroshock me?"

"With Kryptonite." The answer was filled with pride. "And I will again, if you don't do what I'm asking you to."

Kara swallowed her pain away. This was going to be way harder than she had antecipated.

"W-what are the bad news?"

"Same as the good ones. Lena was able to defuse one of the bombs." he replied. "When I was told about it, I started thinking. And I then realized why you did what you did. You didn't turn yourself in because you cared about her, you did it so she would have to take the burden of your responsabilities."

"What?"

"You ran away from you job, you idiot! And you left poor little Lee behind to deal with your dirty work!"

"I did it because I wanted her safe! Away from you! And because I knew she was the only one who could stop you!"

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." He pulled the lever again, and her veins glowed green as she sobbed. "In the name of my sister, I'll make you pay for leaving her in such unfair situation. In the name of humanity, I'll strip you of your god like complex by showing you how weak you really are." He walked closer as she continued to trash around in her bidings. "And in the name of the Luthor house, I will strip you out of your powers, if it's the last thing I do."

\---

_"Said that death is a deal that you cannot refuse_  
_But I love you, girl, and I don't wanna lose you"_

Lena Luthor hadn't closed her eyes in hours. Once she figured out how to defuse the first bomb, she dismantled it and studied the pieces of the intricate mechanism. Upon noticing a few suspicious wires, she digged deeper into the machine, until she found a familiar logo admist the chaos.

When she returned to National City to take a look at the second, she made Winn research the name, just in case.

"Rodwick Metal. Yep, it exists."

"I knew it." She smiled, looking at the DEO team around her. "They tried to make a deal with LCorp a few years back, about a new type of superconductor they created using a metallic alloy."

"That doesn't sound very good." Alex breathed.

"Actually, it could be. With the technology they had they could have improved the Large Hadron Collider in ways never imagined before, and created a new age in the history of science, but..." Lena paused, face twisting in disappointment. "They wanted to use the alloy to create a quicker and more effective electrode for detonation devices."

"What?! Are you kidding me?! Those people are idiots!" Winn complained.

"Agreed. And that's why I cut ties with them." The CEO replied. "But apparently, Lex didn't." She breathed out. "He wanted these bombs to be perfect."

"But he failed." Sam, who had been standing besides Lena the whole time, said. "He left evidence behind."

"She's right. And if we look at their most recent sells... " Winn typed something in his computer and a tab popped on the screen. "We can find out how many of these pieces they sold..."

"...And how many bombs there are!" Alex realized, scooting closer to the group.

"There!" Lena exclaimed, and the man stopped scrolling. "High Temperature Type III Superconductor..." She read out loud, then pointed at the letters. "Bought by... Lena Luthor."

Right then, she felt her blood boil.

"Eve. She must have bought them in my name." The CEO realized.

"We'll deal with this after. How many of these things were sold?" Alex inquired.

"Sixteen." Winn instantly replied, turning around in his chair. "So... We have sixteen bombs."

"Shit." Sam whispered.

"There are sixteen pieces for each player in a chess board." Lena said, closing her eyes. "His metaphor is clear. He wants us to play."

"I don't like this." Alex replied, crossing her arms. "We can't find and dismantle sixteen bombs in the two days we have left... That's impossible."

"Not when you've got me." a new voice echoed through the walls of the DEO, and all of them turned around to see it's owner.

"Eve?!" Lena walked backwards, bumping against Winn's desk.

"Nice to see you again, Miss Luthor." the handcuffed blonde smirked, as J'onn dragged her across the floor.

"How'd you capture her?"

"We didn't." the martian responded. "She turned herself in."

"WHAT?!" the group exclaimed in unison.

"She brought this..." He tossed Alex a folder. "With her."

"It has all details about Mr. Luthor's plan. I have been spying on him."

When the Director eyed the documents for the first time, her mouth dropped. She found maps, notes, charts, pictures. It was all so well registered she almost couldn't believe it.

"Why?" Lena dared to step foward. "Why are you doing this? Helping us?You betrayed me!"

"Did I? Or did I just play along to keep you safe?" Eve asked, as her smile dropped. "Yes, is true, I used to work for Lex. And I admired him as much as you did. Even loved him. But once he murdered thirty seven innocent people, and almost killed my mother trying to pull off the 'crime of the century'..." She paused. "Let's say my views on him changed."

"Then why did you lie to me during all those years? If you were against him, why did you lie?!"

"Because she had to make sure he didn't question her loyalty." Alex filled in the blank, still astoundished. "And if you knew, he could find out."

It made sense, but still, it hurt.

"I don't believe you." Lena was about to turn around, but the despised voice of her newest sworn enemy caught her attention.

"Then tell me, why else would I have protected you during the Mercy Graves attack at LCorp? If I hated you, I could have easily let you die. Besides, you and I know, Lex wouldn't have cared. He's a sociopath."

"Don't test my patience, Teschmacher." The CEO warned her.

"I'm telling the truth."

"And the coordinates of the first two bombs we found are matching with her info." Alex sided with the woman, giving Lena a printed sheet of paper. "Look at it yourself."

"She's playing with us. I'm not going to fall." Lena faced the Director with harshness. "What if Lex sent her? What if we go after one of this alleged bombs and it's a trap?!"

"We have to do something! We are running out of time!" The older Danvers half whispered in rage, staring fearlessly into her eyes. "My sister is god knows where, being tortured by a madman, and this whole country could potentially blow up, do you even see how deep is the shit we are in?!-"

"DO YOU THINK I DON'T?!" she stopped the rant, veins popping in her neck.

"Ladies." J'onn interrumpted, irritated by their bickering. "She's telling the truth."

"Now you are siding with her too?!"

"I read her mind." He revealed with a bit of guilt. "What she speaks is true."

"Great! So let's stop this damn fight, and get to work!" Winn ordered in frustration and spun his chair again, burying his head in his computer.

Eve was scorted out of the room by J'onn and a few more agents, and gave Lena a strange look of regret before leaving. Alex sighed and walked around searching for something else to do, and Sam tried to comfort the stressed CEO, who at this point, was in the middle of a silent freak-out.

Sensing the stiffness of her shoulders, and the accelerated beating of her heart, Arias grabbed her friend by the wrist and took her outside, to the balcony.

There, she saw her façade fall apart.

Resting her hands on the edge of the railing, she let her head drop, and her chest shake with violent sobs.

"I'm sorry, Lee... Please, just breath with me? In and out."

"I-I can't. I'm trying but I can't." the younger Luthor said weakly. "I keep thinking about ways to win this twisted dispute with Lex, but I can't... There's no way out. It seems like everything we can do would only lead us to death! A-and Kara is o-out there... Alone... I don't want her to die!"

"She's not going to. We're gonna find her, she'll be okay."

"Please don't lie to me." Lena finally looked at her, drowning in her own tears. "Not you too."

"C'mere."

The arms around her soothed her soul, but the pain in her chest was unmoving.  
As was Kara's, at the other side of the town.

\---

' _Don't want a long ride_  
_I don't wanna die at all_  
_I wanna be the man who lives forever_  
_I ain't never gonna die and I want you to come'_

She would survive this heinous act of cruelty, she promised herself. The shocks stung and burnt her already sensitive skin, her head pounded, her throat was hoarse, and the air she breathed seemed to be on fire, but she wouldn't give up on life just yet. She had to buy Lena and Alex more time. Only two of all the bombs had been stopped; this was only the beginning.

"I think you're starting to enjoy the pain." her kidnapper laughed, pulling the lever again and letting her fall onto the table.

Right then, a little dot on his giant map flickered, blinking until it disappeared.

"Seems like little sis was able to deal with the Gotham bomb. What a shame. I really wanted to see Wayne Enterprises blow up."

"You are a m-monster."

"Yeah, you're right." he admitted with a childish demeanor. "I am a big bad monster. But you know what, red riding hood? I love it." his laughter was sick, almost carefree. "Sadly, now that Lena has taken down three of my favourite spots on the map, I'm quite angry. And you know what monsters do when they are angry?... No?..." He walked closer and closer to her, maniacal grin still on display. "We go out to play."

Two beatings and four countless broken bones later, the bald man unleashed her from her bindings, wearing a pair of intricate Kryptonite gauntlets. He threw her on a chair, in front of a old recording camera, and started to film his next menacing video.

"Lena dear, congratulations. You have defused 18.75% of all of my bombs. What a big milestone." He tried to mock her, and accidentaly let his fury sneak out. "But then again, it's so much more than Supergirl would have managed to do. Isn't that right, dear?"

"Don't listen to him Lena!" she begged. "Save your world! Forget about me!"

"ENOUGH." he grabbed her by the chin, squeezing her mouth shut. Then, he took the camera with his other hand, raising it up and tilting it slightly, so it could showcase both of them. "I've been playing nice with her for now. But with every step of my plan you ruin, my sweetness seems to vanish. I'll not be as kind to this... 'Creature', anymore. Come join me in cleansing the earth from this kind of scum forever, or else..." He looked down, smilling. "You know what? I'll leave it you imagination."

\---

  
_'I said life is a tale, it begins and it ends_  
_And forever's a word that we can't understand_  
_Well, I know that my life's better when we're together_  
_So why can't our story just go on forever?'_

After her panic attack was controlled, the CEO of LCorp sat down against the railing of the balcony, still accompanied by her oldest best friend.

"I think I love her, Sam." The confession came out of the blue, but quite frankly, neither of them were shocked to hear it. "Kara, I mean. I think I... I think I always have. I just tried to push it down, to pretend it was just a silly insignificant crush... But it wasn't. Now I see it wasn't."

"Lena... You think? Have you seen the way you look at her? Like she hung the sun on your broody, grey Luthor skies? Of course you love her." Both of them let out watery laughs before slipping into silence.

"I kept thinking about what happened in the tower... And I couldn't understand why, after everything, I stil felt what I feel for her. She lied to me, I shouldn't really care this much..." She took the decision to open up, finally. "But then, in the hospital, I dreamed of her. Of her silly laugh, of her joy... Her kindness. And I understood what was behind all of those lies. I understood Supergirl's need to protect others, even when others couldn't protect her. I understood why Kara Danvers was so keen on giving people second chances, never judging them by their last name. And I realized that, even though I could see both of her personas clearly, ever since her coming out, I'd never stopped to see her as a full being."

"What do you mean?"

"I knew the journalist, I knew the hero. But what about the real person behind them? I don't know anything about Kara Zor-El." she explained. "And then, it hit me. Even though she is a stranger, I still want to meet her. I still want to learn her ways. I still want her to be in my life."

"You still want to love her." Sam smiled, figuring out her friend's inner workings better than her own's.

"That's why I panicked. We're standing in a mine field right now. And if I take the wrong step, either the woman I love dies, or all of us do. And I don't want to lose my chance of a life with her. I want to have a forever, not an end."

The torment in her words was gut-wrenching. But before Sam could reply, or at least comfort her in some way, Alex barged in through the door.

"Look, I'm sorry to interrupt your deep and emotional conversation, but this is an emergency." She ran up to them, and handled down a tablet. "Your brother posted a new video. Our Gotham team managed to neutralize one of the bombs, he found out, and then recorded himself losing his mind about it. Or whatever he has left of it, anyway."

The Director was about to press play, when Samantha stopped her hand, turning her head to face Lena.

"Do you want to see this?" Her question was sharp.

"Yes. I need to."

"Okay. Go on." She then released Alex's wrist and mouthed an apology towards her, that was quickly buried by the voices on the video.

When it ended, all of them were nothing more than shaking bones. The thought of anyone, specially a super, being trapped under the claws of that beast was terrifying; his demeanor was truly unnerving.

"What do we do now?" Arias asked in behalf of the younger Luthor.

"I've already organized our troops, spoken to our international allies. We told them how to deactivate each bomb, and we gave them the coordinates in Eve's notes so they could find them."

"I don't trust that bloody woman." Lena repeated once again, making Alex sigh. "But I trust you."

Now that was a twist she didn't see coming.

"You... Do?"

"Yes." She rose to her feet. "And I've decided... I want to trust Kara again too. So I will give her a new chance of proving herself. My brother will do anything he can to break her. I trust her not to. She has to hang on until we can find her."

"I agree with you on that." Alex replied, before being swallowed by a desolate hug.

"I'm sorry for what my family is putting yours through."

"It's not your fault." the Director denied. "You are saving the world, Lena. You're not like them." They parted, and helped Sam onto her feet. "Now let's go hunt that fucking bastard down."

"Hell yeah." the CFO added, as the three of them laughed at the face of destruction and went back inside.

\----

_'They said life without end wouldn't have any meaning_  
_The journey to death is the point of our being_  
_Well, the point of my life is to be with you, babe_  
_But there ain't enough time in the life that they gave me'_

Lex's newest method of torture was the worst she had been through so far. She was hanging from the ceiling by two metal chains, howling in suffering. He had ripped her suit apart, leaving her back completely exposed. He then proceeded to use a Knout scourge, covered in tiny hooks made of Kryptonite, to whip her skin and pool the floor with her blood.

She screamed, tried to shy away, but nothing worked. Her back cried for a relief she knew the man wouldn't give her.

As black spots began to cover her eyesight, and the pain reached a climax so high she almost felt numb, she started thinking about her life.

She felt grateful to have been raised by the Danvers. She felt happy, for knowing her mother -and some her people- had survived. She felt lucky, for having so many good friends.

But the one thing she regretted not doing, was telling Lena just how much she loved her. Her lies, her manipulations, her own pride, had made her a fool.

She imagined the life both of them could have led, if she just had been given more time to fix her mistakes.

But perhaps this was it. Maybe dying in her place was the best way of telling her just how sorry she truly was. Or at least, she hoped it would be.

Death's freezing breath had never been so close to her before. She could feel herself drift off, and she could hear the voices of her ancestors, begging her to come home. To bathe in Rao's eternal light.

And then, the pain stopped.

_'And all those days and all those nights_  
_And all those days and all those nights_  
_And all those days and all those nights (forever together, forever alive)_  
_And all those days and all those nights (forever together, forever alive)'_

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I skipped a few repeated verses of this song, so that the chapter could make sense... I hope it worked out alright D:


	5. When The Night Is Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara is found.

_'My one and only love_  
_I've been lonely long enough_  
_Will I find you when the night is over?_  
_Tell me where did you go?_  
_I've been searching high and low_  
_I have only 'til the night is over'_

Two hours. That's how long they had left to defuse all of the remanining bombs and find Kara.

Lex had published another video. No one knew how, but his connection to the LCorp page was still impossible to track. Lena felt like they were searching for the footprints of a ghost.

In the new recording, he made the terrible decision of broadcasting part of the torment he was inflicting on his Kryptonian victim to the world. It was sick, cruel, and it made her blood boil. Seeing the blonde scream until she passed out over and over again didn't get any easier; it didn't matter how many times Winn replayed the video on his screen, she still felt the urge to carve her eyes out of her sockets to avoid looking at it.

"Do you recognize any of the surroundings?"

"No. If I did, I wouldn't be watching this again." she snapped, but then regretted it. "I'm sorry... I'm just tired of all of this. Replay it, please."

The programmer sighed, and did what he was told.

"Stop." She suddenly said, and the movie freezed.

In the shot, Lex was holding a bloody whip, and as she leaned in closer to take a better look, her mind unleashed thousands of childhood memories at once.

"That whip he is holding... I've seen it before. He modified it, but I know it's true owner. Lionel!" She punched the desk out of excitement. "He had that damned thing framed on the wall of his office at the Luthor manor!"

"I thought the police had already checked..."

"They checked the Luthor mansion, which is a completely different place. The manor is in the outskirts of the city. We used to spend our summer vacations there." her eyes widened, and for the first time in ages, she was hopeful. "We found him!"

\---

_'In every window, I pass_  
_Your reflection in the glass_  
_Makes me wonder if my mind is going_  
_Shadows shifting in the rain_  
_Slowly driving me insane_  
_By the stars above, I know we were in love_  
_I have only ’til the night is over'_

Five black SUV's left the DEO building and snaked their ways throught the busy streets of National City.

It was another rainy night, and the winds punched the outsides of her vehicle with sturdy resistance.

Alex was in charge of driving, Lena was in charge of giving her directions, and Samantha was trying to keep her calm through it all.

Staring at the moving glass buildings around the street, she couldn't help but imagine Kara's reflection on the windows, as she flied freely through the breeze, without a single care in the world.

She pictured her usual bright smile, happy and full of joy, and dared to wonder if she would ever smile like that again in real life.

After what her brother had done, she wasn't sure.

"Director, I just received word from General Correia. The bomb in Lisbon has been sucessfully defused."

"How many are there left, Brainy?" Alex asked.

"At this very moment, only two. London and Berlin are on hold."

"Great, make them wait a little longer. If we stop the timers right away, Lex will kill Kara out of rage. When we have them in our sight, I'll give them my permission to defuse. Until then, hold their horses for me."

"As you wish, Director." Brainy then ended the call, and the car's speakers turned off.

"Where do I go know?" Alex inquired.

"Keep going through Newell street. Then take the E-20th to your left, and we're done."

"Okay." The red head did what she was told, and as she parked the car, checked. "You've got your guns with you?"

"Yes."

"Your comms are live?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now stay behind me the whole time, and don't even think of doing something dumb. What we're about to see will fuck us up pretty badly; Kara is in terrible shape, and Lex is out of it. Be careful, please." She begged one last time, and unlocked the doors.

Water drenched their black suits as they stepped over the yellow grass. Behind them, the remaining SUV's approached, and dozen of agents came out, following their path.

Walking until they were close enough to properly read the graffiti covering the main door, Lena stopped for a moment, and looked up.

The manor was nothing like she remembered. It was luxurious, obviously, but it lacked the glamour and dignity it used to have. It had become the ruins of a time she wished she could forget. A reminder of the unforgiveness of time. A metaphor for what she wished this day would become. Just another decaying memory.

Casting her head down, she resumed her walking, and catched up to Sam and Alex. They checked the living room first. Lex's men were sitting down in a dusty leather couch, guns dropped aside, playing with cards.  
They felt so relaxed and unbothered by anything, they didn't even realize when the agents barged in, forcing them to surrender, keep quiet, and follow them out of the house.

"He's not on the top floors." Dreamer, who also had tagged along for the mission, informed in a quiet voice.

"He must be underground then." Lena whispered carefully, and pointed towards the stairs. "Lillian forced Lionel to build a a bunker. It should be down there."

"Let's go then." Alex agreed, and the team started to move towards the eye of the hurricane.

_'I feel the weather change_  
_I hear the river say your name_  
_I watch the birds fly by_  
_I see an emerald in the sky'_

"Tell me, Kara. How does one destroy a Super?" A voice echoed through the stairway walls, filling the darkness with horrible visions of the nearby scenary.A "Aren't you going to answer?"

Silence. And then a whip cracked.

Desperate screams were all they could hear.

"Kryptonite! I-It's K-Kryptonite!"

"Good girl!"

"Alex!" Nia's strong whisper emerged from behind. "I saw something!"

"What?"

"He has golden Kryptonite! We need to go in now or Supergirl loses her powers!"

The revelation made things even more delicate. They weren't just about to fight for Kara's life. They were going to fight for her identity too.

Everything could change.

But they were hopeful.

"Lena, Sam, help Kara. Dreamer, agents, you come with me." The Director gave her final orders, reaching the end of the stairs. "Rao help us." Her sister's words escaped her mouth, before she jumped towards the entrance of the bunker. "LEX LUTHOR! GET THE FUCK BACK!"

_'Now the trail has gone cold_  
_I don’t know where else to go_  
_And my time, I fear, is nearly over'_

The last daughter of Krypton was sure she wouldn't be able to live for much longer. The Kryptonite bullet the madman had shot her was still buried in her chest, stopping her body's much needed healing powers from saving her, magnifying the pain she felt to a cellular degree.

The sociopath had pulled her back from the grave three times already. She was wondering if he would manage to do it a fourth time when a sudden commotion woke her from her thoughts.

_'When the ocean drinks the sky_  
_And the city winks its eye_  
_When the night is done, you’ll vanish in the sun_  
_Will I hold you when the night is over?'_

"KARA! PLEASE LOOK AT ME!"

Someone wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her weakened body up, relieving the tension in her shoulders and arms, still held by chains to the ceiling. The movement, however, made the lashes on her back bleed even more, and she snapped her eyes closed, trying to make her excruciating agony stop.

"SAM, SHACKLES!" The voice said in a hurry, and then, without a warning, her arms fell down like numb weights by her side.

She was free, but even freedom hurt.

She screamed her soul out again, barely hearing the battle that surrounded her.

"LENA, GET HER UPSTAIRS!"

Gunshots were following her shadow. She felt herself being dragged across the room, her vision almost completely swallowed by darkness, and then heard the soothing noise of rain falling over her head. For a moment, she calmed down, and blacked out again.

Before she lost herself though, she heard the woman carrying her utter the three beautiful words she always longed to hear.

"I love you."

When she returned to her senses, she was laying down. In a bed. In a familiar, yet almost forgotten place.

Her loft.

"What am I doing here?

The answer to her question came in the form of broken memories. Without warning, she remembered in exquisite details the last moments she had lived before her world was lost to oblivion.

Alex had gone inside the bunker with several DEO agents. Dreamer helped her sister get rid of a significant amount of Golden Kryptonite, while Sam covered her back, and Lena dragged her out of the war zone.

Sadly, she collapsed before she could even make it to the car.

"If I can remember that, why can't I know what I'm doing here?"

_'Am I lost inside my mind?_  
_There’s an emerald in the sky'_

She walked towards the main door, tried to pull it open, but it was closed. Frustrated, she slid down to the floor, punching the damn thing as she fell. She didn't know what to do next. She wanted to go back to her sister, to her friends, to her family. But mostly, she just wanted one last chance at kissing Lena goodbye.

_'I hear the river say your name_  
_By the stars above, I know we were in love_  
_I hear the river say your name_  
_I have only ’til the night is over'_

She hoped this was only a dream.

She hoped she would see the sunrise.

 

 


	6. She Lit A Fire

  
_'I've been through the desert_   
_And I've been across the sea_   
_I've been walking through the mountains_   
_I've wandered through the trees for her_

  
_I have been trying to find her_   
_Want to give what I got, she lit a fire_   
_But now she's in my every thought'_

When they came back to the DEO, chaos was the only thing keeping her bound to earth. A group of doctors laid Kara's bleeding body in a stretcher, away from her and into the MedBay. The next one to be dragged in was Alex, wounded in the shoulder by her brother's disgusting whip. Sam followed shortly after, her body leaning into Dreamer's as she walked, having refused to use a wheelchair.' Jonn and a number of other agents were in charge of taking Lex to his cell at the lower floors, and Winn was making sure that all of the bombs they found were already defused and dismantled.

Between the sea of busy people moving all around her, she saw a tall figure make his way through the crowd.

Black hair, blue eyes, parted chin. She recognized the picture she'd already seen thousands of times before.

"Superman."

Ready to either be scolded or treated with coldness, she laid out a hand, always the professional.

He didn't shake it.

In fact, he moved it aside so he could hug her.

"You saved the world. My world." The deep voiced whispered, and she noticed how broken it sounded. "I'll forever be in debt."

She thought of an answer, she really did, but the tiredness of her mind caught up with her, and she just had enough strength as to hug him back.

When he left, she looked around, still at loss. That's when a hand tapped on her shoulders, capturing her attention once again.

"You did it, Miss Luthor." It was Brainy. Perhaps one of the few people in that entire building who could deal with her right now. "You sucessfully defused sixteen bombs in the time span of three days, stopped your brother's insane ideas of world wide destruction, and saved Supergirl. Then why, I must ask, do you seem so..."

"Heartbroken? Sad? Almost numb?"

"Dull." He completed, as she let out a dry laugh. "Are you in need of any assistance at organizing the little boxes?"

"What?"

"Do you want to talk?" He repeated himself, and offered his hand out.

Without even considering the proposition properly, she took it, desperate go get away from that mess.

They walked around the DEO for a while, eventually finding an empty hall, free of noise and nosy people.

"Do you think she is going to make it?" Lena asked with a tinge of fear.

He seemed to consider his answer for a while.

"You had a 12,32% chance of sucessfully executing your plan. Yet, you managed to raise that to a 100%." Brainy revealed. "If you managed to be that low and still win, Kara is more than able to do so."

"What are the odds against her?"

"She has a 50% chance of living, considering her wounds and scarring psychological trauma."

"Is there any way we can help her raise those numbers?"

"Perhaps." He replied, pressing both hands against each other, fingers tapping in a cartoonish way. "Once Kara's vitals are stable, I should be able to take a look at the insides of her mind, maybe pull her out of her coma again.-"

"-Again?" She stopped him in his track.

"She's been like this a couple of times. She always makes it out, although usually, she needs our help." the Coluan informed, and pointed towards a door to his left. "That's why, right now, we need to give her the best help possible. And you, comrade, can't give it when you haven't slept in three whole days." He walked towards the entrance and opened it. The room was filled with a thousand steel bunk beds, all of them empty, given the emergency the organization was dealing with at the moment. "Now get in there, and sleep. I shall see you in a few hours."

She wanted to bite back, but before she could, Brainy shoved her inside and locked the door.

Finding it useless to fight against him, she laid on the first bed she saw, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes.  
Kara was the only thing she could see.

_'Where could that girl have gone?_   
_Where? I've wandered far_   
_Where could that girl have gone?_   
_She left no trail but I cannot fail; I will find her.'_

It was already noon when she woke up. Feeling at last well rested, she rose from her bed, not knowing what to do. As if on cue, the door opened.

"Better?"

"Yes... Thank you." She then proceeded to walk out of the room, as Brainy led her towards the MedBay.

"They have finished Kara's surgery."

"Kara's what, now?"

"She had a Kryptonite bullet encrusted in her sternum. It was stopping her body from healing itself and also poisoned her blood; weakened her to a very delicate state. Thankfully, once the bullet was retrieved, her immune system responded quickly to the poison, and was able to stop it before any major damage was sustained."

"Thank god." She breathed out in relief. "And Lex? Has he caused any trouble?"

"No, not yet. But I afraid he soon will."

"You and me both... Brainy, I need to see him. Eye to eye."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." The CEO replied. "Take me to see Kara first, please. Then I'll go."

"I trust you to be taking the right choice, Lena. Don't let yourself be thrown down by your... **This man's** rotten agressions. Whatever he says to you, remember, he's lying. As a great person once told me, "You're cool as a cucumber. Don't let his words bring you down."

"Kara said that, didn't she?" She smiled softly. He nodded. "Thank you, Querl."

"What are friends for?"

\----

Kara was a messy sleeper. She snored, trashed around, even drooled from time to time. That's why, to anyone that knew her, pretending that she was asleep wasn't really an option. No lie could ever take away the pain they felt.

Anyone that saw her after those three endless days, thought the same thing.

Was she dead or alive?

Was she stuck in the inbetween?

Lena was just another of her loved ones that couldn't figure out exactly what was going on with her.

Sometimes, she couldn't even believe that she was there, safe and sound, still breathing.

But she knew she had to do something to help her; to bring her back from the great beyond. She hadn't saved her from her insane half-brother just so she could die at her hands.

She had to find out where she was, one more time.

"You never gave up on me." Lena said, scanning the blonde's mistreated body, a brutal reminder of Lex's lack of humanity. "I am not giving up on you. So please, Kara. Fight back. Stay with us... With me. I need you; we all do. And not just as the girl of steel, or as the bubbly journalist from CatCo. We need you, Kara Zor-El." She grabbed her hand, tears falling down her face. "I can't do this without you. I will face Lex, and I will throw his ass in jail so he can rot for the rest of history, that's not going to be hard for me, not after everything. But living a life without you... That will be impossible." closing her eyes, she continued. "I love you. I am so sorry I didn't have the courage to tell you before. And I'm sorry that I needed to lose you to finally understand how much I need you by my side."

_'She lit a fire, and now she's in my every thought_   
_She lit a fire, and now she's in my every thought'_

Lena raised the cold Kryptonian hand towards her lips, and gently kissed her knuckles. Then she lowered it down on the bed, took one last look at the woman she loved, and walked away from the room, ready to face Lex.

  
_'When last I saw her she was dancing all alone_   
_Perhaps my chance was then - I'll never know_   
_I'll search the world until there's no place left to go_   
_And if she leaves it, I will follow, I will follow'_

 

 


	7. Moonbeam

_'I had a dream that you came to me shining down_   
_Through the clouds like a moonbeam_   
_There you were_   
_And you wore nothing more than your raven hair_   
_In the air like a moonbeam_   
_Here you were'_

Kara didn't know how much time she had already spent locked up in her imaginary loft. She knew it wasn't real - she could remember Brainy telling her that a long long time ago -, and she knew for a fact that she had to get the hell out of there. Yet, nothing she did seemed to work. Heat vision, super strength, no matter the effort, nothing changed.

She was about to give up, to face the fact that this was her new reality, when suddenly, her TV turned on. The screen was lit with the familiar grey and black grainy noise she used to see in her first years on earth, when VHS were still a thing and Midvale's transmission signal was terrible.

She sat on the couch, staring at the ominous sign, waiting for an answer. Then, a sweet and nostalgic voice came in through the speakers.

_"You never gave up on me."_

Kara's mouth dropped open.

"Lena?"

The screen flickered. She saw memories of her days with the CEO flash by, some a bit blurry, others clear as water. She watched those green emerald eyes light up with her smile, her hands letting her raven hair down after a long day of work. Her brain had memorized every laugh, every joke, and even her deepest confessions with a precision she could only feel thankful for.

She needed to see her, even though she couldn't open her eyes.

Truth be told, Kara was terrified of waking up. She knew that once she did, reminders of Lex's abuse would appear everywhere. Nightmares, panic attacks, depression, PTSD... She didn't feel ready in the slightest to face her fears. At least, not alone. She needed to see she was not alone.

" _...I am not giving up on you._ " the voice returned, sculpted in sorrow. " _So please, Kara. Fight back. Stay with us... With me. I need you; we all do. And not just as the girl of steel, or as the bubbly journalist from CatCo. We need you, Kara Zor-El_."

The use of her real name made her heat skip a beat.

_'And you pulled me from a nightmare_   
_With your eyes and your silver touch_   
_Shone a little bit of light there_   
_Now the darkness don’t scare me much'_

The Kryptonian then felt a ghostly touch in her hand. It was so strange, yet comforting. She knew exactly what was happening outside her mind prison. Lena was holding her hand.

" _I can't do this without you. I will face Lex, and I will throw his ass in jail so he can rot for the rest of history, that's not going to be hard for me, not after everything. But living a life without you... That will be impossible_."

The admission made her head go blank for a couple of seconds. She barely had time to recover, when a second bomb was thrown at her.

" _I love you. I am so sorry I didn't have the courage to tell you before. And I'm sorry that I needed to lose you to finally understand how much I need you by my side._ "

A few moments later, the TV turned off by itself.She couldn't do anything else but to stare at it in absolute awe.

Lena loved her.  
And she loved her back.

_'You can feign your surprise, give me those doe eyes_   
_But I know I wanna love you_   
_Yes I do_   
_We can dance to the beat while I tap my feet_   
_On the stars, you’re gonna like me_   
_Yes you are'_

\---

In the real world, Lena had just left Kara's room, and was strolling with vengeful determination towards the stairs, along with Brainy.

She was going to face her brother, she was going to drag him down from his pedestal of madness one more time, and she was going to live a proper life with Kara, filled with happiness and joy, both of them deserved that much.

She wanted to love her, and so would.  
Nothing would stop her this time around.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" J'onn, who had been waiting for them at the end of the hall, asked.

Somehow, he had taken a look inside her struggling head, and he knew exactly what she was planning to do; Justice.

"I need to protect both the world and Supergirl. For that to happen, certain sacrifices have to be made."

"I can ask an agent to do this for you..."

"-No. This is something **I** have to do."

The martian breathed out, and cleared the way.

"Be strong, Lena." He said with a small smile. "Be careful."

She took a deep breath in and nodded. Then, kept walking.

\---

_'When you saved me from a bad dream_   
_I was drifting through time and space_   
_But I landed on a moonbeam_   
_Take me out of this place'_

Kara wasn't sure how much time had passed since Lena's revelation, but she knew she had to do something to wake herself up, even if she didn't know how.

"I've been in this void for too long... Come on, brain! Let me out!" She slammed her fist against a wall, frustrated.

She thought that hit might have worked, at least a little bit, because all of the sudden, the TV and the speakers turned on again.

 _"I don't know how to start this conversation really..._ "

"Alex?..." She mouthed, and returned to the couch, her sister's voice echoing around the room like some sort of recorded message.

" _Sam told me to get my ass up here and talk to you, but it's hard 'cause you're not even here... Not really. And I feel like I'm going crazy looking at all of these tubes and wires... And I blame myself, because I could have stopped this... Or at least I could have tried harder to find you... I'm sorry I failed you. I shouldn't have_."

Kara wanted to scream. To slam herself against the redhead in a cozy embrace and tell her she was fine, she was alive, she was listening, that it wasn't her fault. But all she could do was wait for another broken line, and take comfort in Alex's smooth voice. She was locked up inside her own mind and there was nothing she could do about it.

" _I guess... I guess I'm still going to try and talk with you anyway... If you're there, somewhere, you'd want to know what's going on. And if you aren't, well... At least I will have tried_." The Director swallowed her sadness and slowly continued. " _First things first, I'm going to give you a rundown of what happened after Lex took you away... Turns out your theory was right, with Lena's help, we were able to deactivate all of the bombs we found. So we didn't blow up. That's a relief._ " Kara laughed softly at her sister's display of sarcasm. " _She also did the impossible, and managed to find your location; the Luthor manor. We went there right away, as fast as we could; turns out Lex had golden Kryptonite with him. But don't worry, we managed to take it away from before he could seriously harm you... Or Sam_." 

"Oh thank Rao." The journalist exhaled her worries away, running a hand through her honeyed hair.

" _Lena dragged you out of the room and took you outside while we fought. I hurt my shoulder pretty badly, Vasquez broke a nose, Sam got hit in the head, but there were no deaths, just a few scraps. We are okay. Mostly_."

The more her sister spoke, the less weight she felt over her shoulders. Having blacked out completely, she was frightened with the possibility of Lex - or her- having caused yet another tragedy.

" _Talking about Sam, she uh... She asked me out on a date. When this is all over, I mean. I said yes... I hope you're fine with it_."

"Of course I'm fine with it!" The super responded, even when she knew no one was there to listen.

" _Ruby is coming here tomorrow. Clark left her with Louis while Sam took care of Lena. She's happy you're okay... Or at least as okay as you can be, after everything..._ " Her voice became heavy, and she could hear the tears get in the way of her speech. " _Mom is also coming here, although she arrives in a few hours. I spoke to her on the phone, and don't tell her I told you this, but she's absolutely pissed off with Lex. I think Kryptonians won't be his downfall after all, just an angry, tall, blonde american woman._ " Both sisters smiled, picturing a rage filled Eliza Danvers scolding the psychopatic older Luthor. " _I really wish you were here, Kara. I miss you so damn much_." She confessed, and then let out a dry laugh. " _You now, I promised myself when I walked in here I wasn't going to get all sappy and emotional, but it turns out I can't be stone cold, not with you. So I'm going to wash all of my pain away scolding your fucked up body, even when you're not here to defend yourself, I'm sorry_."

"Don't be." The blonde replied to her empty loft, feeling tears pool in her eyes.

" _I hate you right now. I hate you for leaving, I hate you for not letting me stop you, I hate you for giving away your life so easily. But you know... I also love you, with all of my heart. You saved the world, our world... Our home. You, you dumb idiot... You are the bravest woman I've ever met. And it kills me to see you like this_." She suddenly stopped, and sobbed for a few minutes before returning to her monologue. " _I know you must be fighting very hard to be alive Kara, especially after all the shit that you went through under that bastard's hands... You should be gone, but you're not. And that's how I know you want to come back to us. That's how I know you're trying. But you need to fight harder. You need to be stronger. We are not giving up on you. Please, don't give up on us. If you can't run back home, it's okay. Do it your way, at your own time. Fly, if you must. But come back... Someday. Please._ "

The ghost kiss left by her sister in her forehead was gentle and full of love. She wasn't ready to forget it, not yet.

" _I'm going away now... I need to rest. I'll come back in a few hours, okay? I love you_."

And with that, the TV turned off once again. But the words remained repeating themselves all around her.

"If you can't run..." Kara mouthed, and looked straight at the window. "Fly." Standing up as fast as she could, she made her way towards the shinning glass. There, the realization hit her with full force. If gravity couldn't bring her down, neither could an evil Luthor. 'Hang on, Alex." She slid it open, tasting the freedom blowing in the wind. "I'm going home."

 _'The world is dark the night is long_  
 _I could use a few laughs and a couple of songs_  
 _The sun will rise above the hills_  
 _You’ll be leaving me soon, like hell you will_  
 _The awe when gazing at the moon_  
 _Is the feeling that I get when I’m lookin’ at you_  
 _The sun will rise and fade the star_  
 _And you’re leaving me soon, like hell you are_  
 _And you’re leaving me soon, like hell you are_ '


	8. Mighty

_'You were a wild thing_  
_When you were younger_  
_Stomping through the jungle_  
_You were mighty_  
_And you were stronger_  
_But I bow no longer'_

Behind the reflection of the glass, tied to a chair, looking just as insane as she remembered, laid none other than Lex Luthor, her treacherous and blood thirsty brother. Or whatever remained of him, at least.

Lena remembered how powerful and intimidating his appearance used to be when he was younger, when Lillian still protected him from the laws of the world, when Lionel was alive and kicking, and she was just a child. He used to play with people's lives as he wished, manipulating every fool that dared cross his path without a single drop of regret. Today, years ahead, he was only the shadow of the man he used to be. And he didn't frighten her anymore.

She strolled into the interrogation room clicking her heels, shoulders high, rubbing her victory all over his bitter face. He deserved the shame of failure, the burn of loss. And this was just the beginning.

"Lena, came to see your old?-"

"Silence." She demanded with coldness. "You don't get to speak one more word to me, Lex. You're going to shut your little mouth up and listen, because I've got a few things to say."

"Please, we both know-" he was stopped dead in his tracks by his sister's burning palm, slamming against his face with the strength of a thousand men.

She raised her hand up, and then he saw it. She was wearing a silver ring with a glowing green ornament. One he could almost recognize, but dared not to.

"Do you really think I would create a serum that gives humans superpowers without adding a set back? I'm not as stupid as you think I am, Lex. I thought you would know that by now." She continued, as he looked at the ring, astonished. "This is Type II Slow Kryptonite. Useless in Kryptonians. Perfect for genetically modified humans. I created it."

"You don't know what you're-"

Another slap. Another sting of pain.

"You almost murdered the woman I love. You were going to kill me, and millions of others. Of course I know what I am doing. You are a monster. A killer. A sociopath. And I want you to die knowing I caused your downfall, you bastard." Before he could register her words properly, she took out a syringe from the pocket of her blazer, and stabbed it into his leg. A glowing green liquid ran through his veins, and he screamed desperately. His blood boiled and he felt as if his skin was melting. "This is what you did to Kara. This is what you put her through during those three damn days." She remained calm, as he trashed and screamed for mercy. "Do you enjoy the poison? Does it burn?"

"YOU CAN'T KILL ME! I'M YOUR BROTHER!"

"Oh, but you're not going to die with this, I'm not that kind." She clarified, removing the needle. "I injected enough Slow Kryptonite in your system as to reverse the effects of the Harun-El. Which means you will be powerless from now on." She smiled, noticing his face slowly fall. " You will die as your body wishes. Your cancer is no longer cured, and in fact, thanks to the mutations of your cells, it will come back stronger than ever. Now, do you want me to schedule your next appointment with your doctor, or do you deny any treatments?"

"HOW DARE YOU BETRAY ME, LENA?" he started coughing violently.

"See? Told you it would be back."

He jumped fowards, but was stopped by his restraints. The CEO barely moved at his sudden outburst. She no longer was afraid of him. He, on the other hand, seemed even more decided to kill her then before.

  
_'All your temples will lie in ruin_  
_Once I ravage through them_  
_All your rivals will not go near you_  
_But I do not fear you'_

"It's over, Lex. You lost the game you started." She said with pity, crossing her arms.

"Not yet, sis! Not yet!" He replied, spitting fire. "Did you think I did all of this for nothing? The bombs, the torture, the golden Kryptonite? Do you think I used all of my resources just to leave this match empty handed?"

"Seeing where you are now, yes."

"Funny, Lee. Very funny. But you won't be laughing when you see that the game has switched. I am winning, love. Not you."

"Your threats are meaningless to me."

"Are they? Deep down you know they aren't just empty words."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about now?"

"I have one last move, sis. Did you think Eve would come here and help you out of the purity of her heart?"

Lena's arms dropped to her sides. Either he was manipulating her into fear, or there was a real problem raising up to the surface. She wasn't liking any of the two options.

"She handled herself up because I told her to! She's here on a mission, not because she loves you!" He revealed, in the hopes of breaking something inside the CEO.

"Do you think I fear her? Or you? You're both idiots, and you're still not winning." She bit back.

"Oh, Lee... I taught you better than this. I told you to never underestimate the power of a Bishop. Even more so when your King is castled in the corner."

"Maybe, but forgot about the strength of the Rook." A familiar voice stopped his rambling, as the door to the interrogation room opened. "I'm afraid your Bishop has been sucessfully retained and is out of the game for good."

"Alex?" Lena questioned her sudden apparition, somewhat worried. "What happened?"

"Eve broke out of her cell and tried to hack the DEO system, send our location to your mother. Thankfully, we were already waiting for this sort of attack to happen, and Winn was out there to defend us in a second. Teschmacher has already been shipped off to jail."

"You kept an eye on her." The raven haired woman realized.

"You trusted me, I trusted you." The Director replied with a wink, then turned around towards the bald enraged man staring back at her. "I think it's better for you to resign, Lex. Either that, or I'll personally Checkmate you out of this fucking game."

"Fine. I give up." He conceded, then smiled. "But at least I will go down knowing your precious Queen is dead."

"Oh, bold statement... Considering you're wrong. Kara's alive." She released the information, watching his anger grow even more. "In fact, she's awake."

"WHAT?" Both Luthors exclamed at the same time.

"Go upstairs, Lena." Alex smiled tenderly at her, glowing with relief. "She's waiting for you."

"But Lex..."

"I'll take care of him. Go get your girl." She tranquilized the poor woman, who proceeded to sprint out the door in a hurry. The red head laughed briefly, before turning to Lex, serious expression on her face. "Now, now... Where were we?"

_'Well, you howl and you roar,_  
_but I am not afraid of you anymore._  
_You think you can have it?_  
_Then come and get it'_

 


	9. Back From The Edge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The conversation we were all waiting for is here... Grab your napkins, your paper towels, your tissues...your chocolate bars, popcorn, whatever... Y'all will need them ;)

_'I came back from the edge — where you go when you die_  
_I fell back down to Earth through a hole in the sky_  
_I crashed into the sea, then somehow I survived_  
_Don’t know what to believe, but I know I’m alive_  
_Back from the edge'_

The light Kara saw when she first opened her eyes was brighter than Rao's eternal flames. It flickered and waved for a few seconds, and then it settled. Once she managed to focus her eyesight enough as to notice the outline of the sunlamps, she moved her neck around, observing the world around her.

Everything was spinning and she had to be slow, she didn't want to get sick, not now that she'd just returned.

Also, she couldn't throw up even if she tried, there was a tube inside her throat stopping anything from getting out. With what was left of her Kryptonian strength, she tried to raise her hand up and get the damned thing off. But her wrists were tied down again, she realized in sudden panic.

Apparently, her struggle made her heartbeat spike, and it set off a warning siren all across the MedBay. Within minutes, Alex came running in along with Doctor Hamilton and a couple of nurses, all bearing faces of either shock or vivid terror.

"KARA!" Her sister shouted and sprinted to her side, crying as she tried to calm her down so that the catheter could be properly removed. "You're okay, I promise, you're okay! Lex is locked up, he can't harm you, all the bombs are gone, everything is fine! Just breathe for me and keep calm, please."

"Arms." She managed to whisper against the uncomfortable feeling in her trachea.

"Your arms are tied down so that when you woke up, you didn't try to remove the catheter all by yourself and harm your vocal chords, like I'm sure you were just trying to do. If you want, we can release them from the bindings, but you have to promise me not to move them while we work."

She took the desperate look in the Kryptonian's eyes as a yes and freed her wrists for good. The first thing the injuried woman did was latch her fingers onto her hand like her life depended on it. Noticing how terrified she seemed to be, the Director moved closer to her blonde nest of hair and kissed her forehead with all the affection she could muster, staying by her side as Hamilton and the others moved on with the heavy duty.

Once the catheter was removed, and some of the machines of her life support were turned off, the noisy siren stopped playing.

Kara then went under a comprehensive medical exam, was administered new intravenous Antibiotics created especifically for her alien biology, and was told explicitly to rest - her superhero duties would still remain on hold.

"Everything seems to be okay. Your wounds are healing up nicely, you don't seem to have retained any major injuries from all the trauma that you've been through... Altogether, you are going to be fine. It's good to see you back, Supergirl." Hamilton winked and smiled, before leaving the room with the rest of her team.

Silence at last was established in her surroundings. Kara took in a deep breath, and looked around one more time, as she tried to understand the prospects of her new reality. She no longer was going to be tortured. She no longer was going to be starved. She could close her eyes and not fear never opening them again. As the doctor had said, she was going to be fine.

"Do you want something to drink?" Her sister asked, and she couldn't even ponder her answer before a glass of water appeared in her sight.

She grabbed it with desperation.

"You can talk now, sweetie." Alex said, watching the woman chug down the liquid as fast as she could. "I'm not expecting you to, but... You can. Just so you know."

Kara lowered the empty glass slowly, afraid of speaking out, or doing something that could suddenly upset the redhead. She struggled for a while, before finally gathering the courage to face her.

"I'm sorry I left... I should have... Tried harder." Her voice was hoarse, filled with pain. "I abandoned both you... And Lena... I'm sorry."

"You don't have nothing to be sorry about." Alex reassured. "Your plan worked, you bought us time and we stopped Lex. Am I happy you did what you did? No, not ever. But I don't blame you for doing it.The only person I can blame, and truly hate right now, is that psychopathic cheaper version of Caillou we have downstairs." she laughed dryly.

Kara followed suit, before she started crying.  
"I'm sorry...I-I missed you."

"Me too. Don't ever do something like this again, do you hear me?"

"I don't ever want to take a choice like that again..." The hero admitted.

"Once you're feeling better, and all of this isn't as fresh anymore, talk to me. Or Lena. Or Sam. Or anyone. Just please, don't shut yourself off."

"I'll try. I swear that I'll try."

"That's good enough for me." The Director calmed her down once again, caressing the hand she had between her fingers.

That's when Kara realized that her other arm was resting on a sling.

"What happened to...-"

"-Oh, this? Lex. I got hurt while we fought him off. It's not serious, don't worry."

"I'm sorry..."

"What did I say about apologizing for something you didn't do?" Her stern voice mellowed when she saw her sister's regretful and scared face.

"It won't happen again. Please don't punish me!"  


"Punish you? Why would I..." The realization hit her like a knockout. Lex must have tortured her to such a degree, she felt sorry for not doing as she was told, and expected a payback for her unwillingness to cooperate."I will never hurt you, ever. And I will destroy any other person that even dares to think of hurting you like that again. I love you, Kara. Remember that, okay?"

"Okay." She responded with tiredness, fighting against her own inner demons as she spoke. "I love you too."

Alex was about to reply when the speakers of the DEO turned up once again, this time echoing a siren she knew was especifically applied to a break in the cell of Eve Teschmacher. (When Lena told her she didn't trust the treacherous woman, she made sure that her agents got a motion detector installed in the hallway she was locked up in, just in case the CEO was right about her assumptions.)

"I've gotta go. You'll be okay in here while I'm away? Do you want me to call someone to make you company?"

"Isn't Eliza supposed to come here today? Will she take a long time to arrive?"

"You remember what I told you while you were... Asleep?"

"Everything." Kara responded.

"Wow... I wasn't expecting that." She smiled tenderly. "Ehm... Yes, she is coming. She arrives in here in ten minutes, her plane landed before you woke up, actually."

"I'll wait for her, then."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Now go, duty calls. I'll be fine."

Alex couldn't say if she bought what her sister told her, but nonetheless, she was needed at the lower floors, so she left. Not quick enough that she didn't hear the massive sigh Kara let out once she was out of the door, though. She couldn't tell if it was just the exhaustion of almost dying catching up with the Kryptonian, or if it was the incomprehensible relief of being alive. But of one thing she was sure. She was going to make Lex Luthor pay for all the pain he caused, and this time, no one would be there to show him mercy.

\---

_'I was nearly destroyed when I looked in her eyes_  
_I got lost in the void as I pondered the size_  
_I got black-brained to death, but I just wouldn’t die_  
_I came back from the edge, I came back from the edge'_

After removing all of her brother's powers and leaving him behind to be smashed by the rage of a guilt driven Danvers, Lena ran upstairs, and made her way to the Med Bay as fast as she could.

J'onn quickly stopped her to tell her Eve had been transferred to a maximum security prison, and that he knew of her plans all along, but played dumb so he could keep an eye on her while saving Kara. They spoke briefly about what to do with Lex next, and then parted ways, as the CEO grew more and more impatient to finally meet with her hero.

When she reached her room, she felt her stomach jump over itself. Her hands were shaking, her vision was foggy, her skin crawled back. All of the sudden, all of the emotions she had been pushing away these past few days came rushing in, and she struggled not to break. As she walked in, barely aware of her surroundings, there was only one thing she could clearly see.

"Kara?"

"Lena." the blonde breathed out in relief, as the CEO ran to her side and hugged her shaking frame with unsteady arms.

"You're awake... I can't believe you are awake." she whispered, smilling tearfully at the familiar scent of her hair. "I was so worried..."

"I'm sorry. I really am... The things I did... That I said... I shouldn't have let you and Alex alone, but I also couldn't let you die!... And I lied to you! For so many years!" what began as a simple apology escaleted to be full on sobs. "I failed you! Both of you!... And I'm so... So s-sorry."

"I forgive you for everything."

"But I-"

"No, Kara. I forgave you as soon as I was dragged out of that damn Tower. I just was too traumatized to tell you that before I left... and I couldn't fight back either, even when I should have. I saw Lex shoot you and I... again, I didn't do anything. Just like when my mother died." she confessed, feeling more vulnerable than ever. "If anything, it's me who should be apologizing."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Lena."

"I didn't fight for you... I should have tried... If I had, maybe..."

"...Maybe?"

"Maybe you wouldn't be as hurt as you are right now." the CEO finished, releasing all of her regret at last.

"They would have killed you... Lex would have killed you if you came back for me." Kara replied. "And if you had died... I would be far more broken than I am now."

That sentence was powerful enough as to completely shatter the insides of the Luthor.  
She didn't want to keep verbally wallowing, not anymore. She decided to just hold the blonde closer until her cries subdued, sobbing quietly as if to wash her agony away. 

"How can you forgive me?" the Kryptonian half- whispered, suddenly looking for her emerald eyes.

"You know how." she whispered back.

"I need you to tell me." the hero begged, watching the woman before her take a deep and steady breath, before opening her mouth with slight hesitation.

"I love you, Kara. And I have loved you for a long time." she confessed. "I was just too afraid to tell you... Growing up in the Luthor household, I was taught that love was a weakness, that trust was out of reach for anyone. And I've tried to forget these teachings for years, but I just... Couldn't." She remembered all the times she'd almost opened up to Kara, only to flee at the last second, and mentally slapped herself in the face. "It took almost losing you for me to forget all of that crap... For my heart to finally admit what I was feeling. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, I swear I wanted to."

"I believe you." Came the quiet reply. "I heard you, while I was sleeping." the blonde continued, as if she was talking about the greatest miracle she'd ever witnessed. "I was stuck inside the deepest corner of my mind; trying to get out of there in any way possible. _Nothing_ worked. I was alone... And scared. I didn't want to die..." her voice cracked. "After a while of fighting, screaming, and torturing myself, I had given up any hopes of returning. I wasn't ready to go, but I knew for sure I wasn't coming back either."

"Kara..."

"But then, out of the sudden... I heard your voice... I saw your face... " she laughed. "I remembered your beautiful green eyes, the softness of you hair... The way your smile shines brighter than any star I've ever seen..." she kept going, fighting back her sobs. "And I realized how much of an idiot I had been all along; how much time I wasted being a coward, running away from my feelings..." she breathed in, trying to calm down. "Then right after you spoke to me, Alex came, and made me see that I couldn't give up; I had to live. I had to get out of there. I had to keep trying. Because I had to make sure that she knew I loved her. And of course, _I had to make sure you knew I love you too_."

That last part was almost lost to her tears, but thankfully, Lena was great at listening, and was able to understand her words clearly.

With that said, it was certain that the CEO was in shock. The admission was so heartfelt, so brutally honest, she felt her breath get stuck in her lungs. Never before, had she been taken by surprise by something so fantastic as this. It was unbelievable to say the least, that someone so utterly amazing as Kara, was in fact, in love with a Luthor. That possibility had never crossed her mind, not for a moment. But now that the cat was out of the bag, if was all she could dare to think about.

Without really noticing, she shifted her position and sat on the bed, so that she could be staring straight at the Kryptonian's icy blue eyes. Her hands raised slowly towards her face, landing on watery cheeks with kindness. Each finger caressed her porcelain skin gently, trying to convey all of the affection she was feeling at the moment - and suceeding.

When she moved fowards to kiss her, her mind went numb. Both felt as if they were floating on a endless void, away from time and space. The saltiness on their lips was quickly forgotten by the sweetness of redemption.

They forgave and were forgiven.

They were honest and truth was their reward.

They loved, and were loved back.

And even though the world was still turning, and darkness still lurked around the corner, they had each other. And that was enough.

_'Back from the edge_  
_Back from the edge_  
_Back from the edge_

_I came back from the edge_  
_I came back from the edge_ '

 


	10. Lullaby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm back :)  
> Uni's kicking my butt, so I haven't had much time to write, but well... I tried.  
> Also, animation is hard. Art is hard. I need a coffee ASAP 😂  
> Enjoy!

_'You arrive along with the sun_  
_Where have you been, darlin'? What have you done?_  
_You were out finding trouble again_  
_There's a fire in your eyes and there's blood on your hands'_

Three weeks had passed since Kara was officially discharged from the Med Bay.

Two since she'd returned to her Supergirl duties. Exactly three hours since she last got into a fight.

  
Ever since the blonde left the DEO, she had been rushing into arguments, punching people with absolutely no reason to, and unleashing her physical strength in a way never seen before. National City's jailhouse must have been full to the brim by the time someone noticed this atypical behaviour and decided to do something about it.

That was about two days ago.

" _Alex? Why are you calling me so late? Is something wrong with Kara?_ "

"She's not doing well, Lena."

The worried Director phoned the younger Luthor right after a bloody altercation between the hero and a Mercurian lion. Apparently, she had watched her sister while she fought, and realized how reckless and furious she seemed to be. The creature was almost dead by the time the DEO agents managed to take control of the situation - it's gooey orange blood covering half of the entire street.  
The worst part of it all, was that the blonde had quickly fled the scene once all was settled, giving no room for any kind of conversation.

"If this is her way of dealing with trauma, we have to make her realize that it isn't healthy. She is doing way more than just burying herself on her job... She's straight up one step away from murdering someone."

" _She wouldn't do that._ " the CEO replied.

"Before all of this mess happened, I would have agreed with you. But after today... I'm not so sure about that."

That short dialogue was reason enough to justify why both of them had called the rest of the superfriends, Eliza, and even Alura to have lunch the next day; They had to plan and hold a intervention for the Kryptonian as quickly as possible.

Back to the present, Kara was dragging herself towards the elevator of her building, possesed by a tired stance, walking slowly and barely raising her feet.  
The newest fight she had gotten into was one of massive proportions; she had been called by none other than Simon Baz - the only member on the Green Lantern Corps she knew personally- to help him and the justice league deal with a crisis in Michigan.

She had gone without a second thought, warning no one about her absence or whereabouts. She had been crossing worlds and dimensions, wrestling with demons, aliens, and other mysterious enemies, painting her fists with bruises and dried blood. The blonde was exhausted beyond words.

Perhaps that was why she didn't hear the conglomeration of hearts beating in her living room. If she had, she would never had opened the goddamned door.  
"What are all of you doing here?" it was her first response, as she threw her keys over some dusty piece of furniture.

Holding her breath, she scanned the room. Alex, Sam, Lena, Winn, J'onn, Brainy, Nia, James, Eliza and... Wait, was that Alura? "Mom?" her voice broke with surprise.

"I came here as fast as I-" before the judicator could finish the sentence, she was wrapped in the tightest hug she'd ever received.

"Well, that was quick." Winn joked, as the rest of the team scolded him with their eyes. "Ok, I'll shut up."

"I missed you." the hero admitted, ignoring his statement.

"Me too, my child. I wish I could have gotten here sooner. When Alex told me what happened, I did my best to come as fast as possible. But then there was a crisis in Argo involving the Red Lantern Corps; I was held back. I only managed to get here yesterday."

"Wait" she broke the embrace. "They attacked Argo too?"

"While you were in a coma, yes."

The information shocked and angered her.

"That is not good. That is not good at all!" she then walked away, pacing over the floor aimlessly. "I was dealing with their attack on earth just a few hours ago. That's the whole reason I was gone, I was helping Kal and the justice league clean up their mess before it was too late! Damn, we should have exterminated those monsters when we got the chance! Now they're going to go to another planet, perhaps even another galaxy, and destroy everything in their path! Just like they tried to destroy Argo and Earth!" her voice suddenly dropped. "... And to think I had Atrocitus's neck right between my fingers... I could have smashed that monster into nothing and protected the universe from so many more tragedies!"

Her breathing was becoming erratic, the crinckle in her forehead seemed to be sculpted on stone. And she didn't seem to realize it, but her eyes were starting to glow red.

"Kara." her mother stopped her in her tracks, being -besides Sam- the only person in that room who could match her godlike stregth. "Are you even hearing yourself?"

"Of course I am!"

"Good, then you would know your laser vision is not meant to be used in your family and friends."

"What?" the blue hue of her eyes returned suddenly, granting a quick breath of relief from everyone. She looked around, in a mix of confusion and annoyance. At herself or at them, no one could figure it out. She turned away from the woman before her and paced quietly for a few seconds, as she tried to get a hold on her emotions. As much as she hated to admit it, Alura was right, she couldn't loose control of her powers like that, not when humans - her own family for Rao's sake, were around. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... Ugh! I'm just stressed out!..."

"Sweetie, this kind of behaviour is worrying us." Eliza walked up to her, followed closely by Alex. "You are going on a rampage of violence in and out of the streets, and that's not healthy. Fighting the Red Lanterns having barely gotten out of a coma that almost killed you, that was a terrible decision and you know it. You are stressed out because your body is stressed out, you need to settle down and rest."

"I think you guys forgot, but protecting people, that's my job. I'm Supergirl. I can't rest."

"Protecting people does not mean snapping at the tiniest of discussions and starting random fights, it does not mean killing people..."

"Don't you say! You get paid for shooting things down." she cut her sister's words by the root.

"Kara."

"I'm fine!"

"Oh, really?" Lena fired from the other side of the living room. "How many hours have you slept since you got out of the DEO? Have you been eating all the calories you need? When was the last time you walked into Catco? When was the last time you fought someone fairly, without seeing red?" the CEO seemed unafraid of stepping on broken glass. "You are not being yourself, Kara."  
For a moment, the blonde seemed a little shaken by her words. But she quickly recovered and bit her comment back.

"Oh, I get it. Is this some kind of intervention? Let me guess, Alex planned this."

"Actually, I suggested it." the Luthor crossed her arms. "Sure, she was worried about you. She's your sister after all; thank god she does. But the idea of putting this together, of making sure that you know you're not alone in this, that was my making."

Once again, silence.

"So all of you think I'm going crazy? That's it?"

"We don't think you are, Kara. But we do think you need help."

"I'm fine!"

"No, you're not! And all of us in this room can see that!" Alex shouted, tired of her excuses. "You need a time off... That's why J'onn and I decided your Supergirl duties are on hold again."

"WHAT?!"

"And you also have two weeks off from CatCo." James announced.

"So what, you strip me of my social life and expect me to get better?!"

"You aren't being stripped of anything, Kara. You just need a break." Eliza replied, and that seemed to make her snap.

"I WAS TORTURED FOR DAYS! I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE! DO YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO HAVE ZERO CONTROL OVER ANYTHING? TO HAVE TO DO WHAT OTHERS TELL YOU TO DO OR OTHERWISE YOU GET PUNISHED? I'M TIRED OF FOLLOWING ORDERS! I'M TIRED OF PLAYING NICE! THE ONLY THING PLAYING NICE DID TO ME WAS LEAVE ME TIED TO A TABLE BEGGING FOR MY LIFE!" she finished her enraged rant by slamming her fist against a wall, crying. "I don't want a break!... I can't afford a break!"

"Kara..." Alex began, but was quickly shut off.

"Leave." the Kryptonian looked at the assembled crowd. "All of you, just...go."  
Most of them did as they were told, but her sister, her mothers, and best friend remained.

"We are not going anywhere." Lena confronted her. "You want to lock your problems away and pretend that everything is fine, but guess what? It's not. We can see that is not."

"We are not letting you suffer in silence, Kara." Alex continued. "We know you are traumatized, we know you are hurt. But how do you think you'll going to get better? On your own? You have to realize, being alone is a shitty answer."

"We love you, so much you don't even know." Eliza told her.

"We want to see you strong again. Let us help." Alura finished, walking towards her."

The journalist jumped back like a scared cat, backing up against the wall in fear.

"Please... please go." she begged, this time with less fire, as she began sobbing." I can't deal with this anymore... I'll stay out of trouble, I will rest, I promise... Just please... I want to be alone... Please, I need to be alone!"

The Kryptonian fell to the floor, crying her eyes out. All four women looked at each other, wondering what to do next.

Lena was the first to take action, taking in a deep breath and kneeling down next to her.

"Okay, we are going. Once you are calmer, we'll leave." She promised, gently pulling the hero's hands away from her eyes, so they could fully look at each other. "But if at any given moment you want us back, call us. If you think you need to talk, call us. If you think about doing something really stupid, call us. We are here for you. For everything and anything." She spoke softly. "And never forget that we love you, that I love you. Please."

"I wont'."

"You are not, and never will be, alone."

Ironically enough, as the loft emptied, these words became her only company.

\---

 _'Come inside and lie down to sleep_  
_You ain't gonna run and you know that you're beat_  
_Rest awhile, they're coming for you_  
_There's a price to be paid for the things that we do'_

It was a chilly friday night when it all came crashing down. The stars were out, the moon was shining, and the cold wind burned her always hot skin as Kara flew high above her precious city.

Ever since the intervention she seemed to do a lot of flying. It was better than going out of her way to punch someone, or so she thought. It also gave her a lot of time to think, something she didn't really want to do ever since she woke up. She had tried to push her trauma away as best as she could, or at least pretend it wasn't there. Although between the nightmares and the sudden panic attacks, she wasn't exactly sure she was suceeding.

Adding to the ever growing list of things she wished she could forget, was also the unexpected and extreme amount of pain her body would put her through as of lately.

Her agony always spread the same way. It started as small shocks in her back, then moved to her muscles twitching, and suddenly, her entire trapezius and Latissimus dorsi muscle would burn hotter than Rao's flames, leaving her completely paralyzed.

From what she had read on the internet, humans called this kind of torture "nerve pain", and it was common to feel it after great injuries like the ones Lex's whip had left her. Truth be told, learning she wasn't going crazy gave her a certain relief. But realizing she was just as fragile as any other civilian around her... That was a low blow.

Apart from ignoring her clear signs of PTSD, and the obvious decay of her physique, she had another problem nagging at the deep ends of her mind. The guilt she felt for not speaking with her friends and family about it.

Ever since the intervention, she barely spoke with anyone. Needless to say, that left them even more worried, and worst of all, not knowing what the hell they were supposed to do next.

And she wished she could say she didn't care about their despair, but she did. And it hurt to know it was herself the one causing it.

She had promised her sister, right after she woke up, that she wouldn't shy away from sharing the truth.

She guess Lex was right. She truly was a natural liar.

"Robbery in 19th street, two suspects, 10-32, over." her ears picked up the information from a police car down below, capturing her inmediate attention.

Over the years, she had become familiar identifying their codes. 10-32 generally meant "man with gun". That alone sent her off to duty, flying as fast as she could towards the mentioned street, shoving her thoughts back to the deep corners of her mind.

As she arrived, she noticed a jewelry store with broken windows, and quickly hurried inside, without waiting for back up. It was a common practice.  
She walked around until she reached the last room of the store, where most of the expesive products were. Peaking around a corner, she at last saw the outline of the thieves.

One of them left the place running out the back door, as the other two threw diamond necklaces and rings inside a big trash bag. Without a warning, she walked up from behind them and used both hands to push their heads against each other, as if she was a cymbal player in a marching band.

They were quickly knocked out, and she took her chance to kick their guns away from them before walking outside.

Inside a red pickup truck, she saw the remaining robber tap his fingers nervously against the steering wheel.

She was making her way towards the vehicle when his appearance settled in. Bald, green eyed, wearing a black suit.

A identical copy of Lex Luthor.

Or, as his brain made her believe, the monster itself.

She didn't realize what she was doing until she saw how red her hands had become. She'd shattered the window beside him with her own fists and pulled him out of the car, punching him to the ground. His teeth were gone. His eyes were bruised and heavily bleeding. His nose was almost flat.

"Please... Stop..." He begged, shaking beneath her frame. "Please..."

She felt nauseous at what she had done.

"Stay still" The Kryptonian ordered, before taking the dying man in her arms and flying away to the nearest hospital.

When they arrived, his heartbeat was almost unnoticeable. As the doctors took him away in a stretcher, she fell to her knees, mentally and physically exhausted. If that man died that night, the guilt of his death would haunt her forever. And she already had enough ghosts plaguing her mind as it was.

She left the hospital without calling the police. She doubted that scared man would ever try to break the law again.

After that fight, she didn't dare to fly; just walked aimlessly through the streets of Nacional City, not giving a damn about anything at all. It was only when she reached Lena's building when she decided to float up to her floor.

Landing softly on the balcony, she stood there, alone in the dark, wondering what to do next. Her hands were stained with blood that wasn't hers, her eyes pooling with unshed tears, stomach sinking lower and lower with each passing minute. She raised her hand to knock on the window, but couldn't bring herself to do it. Falling to the floor like a ragdoll, she sobbed deeply, letting out a scream that might as well have ripped her throat apart.

It was that disturbingly dark sound what woke Lena up.

"What the bloody hell?" The billionaire rolled around in her bed, looking towards her giant glass window. "Kara?" she squinted, somewhat confused, before realization dawned on her. "Oh.. Oh no."

Quickly wrapping herself in a gown, she ran up to the hero, grabbing her by the edges of her suit and taking her inside. Where she gathered the stregth to do it was unimportant, she was most worried about how to calm down the destroyed Kryptonian.

"Honey, please tell me what happened..."

"I almost killed him... I think I... He looked so much like Lex... I snapped..." the blonde confessed, eyes glazed, filled with terrifying emotion. "I almost... I-..."

"It's okay, everything is going to be okay." Lena reassured, helping her sit on the bed. "I need you to breathe, Kara. Can you do that for me?... In and out. That's it."  
It took the younger Luthor a while to make her aware of her surroundings again. When the woman came back to reality, and started explaining what happened at the crime scene, Lena couldn't help but hug her shaking frame. Since then, she'd been quietly listening to her confessions as both of them laid peacefully in her bed, cuddling each other. Her touch seemed to anchor and comfort Kara, and so, she wasn't denying any affections she could give. It didn't matter how small they were.

"And after I left the hospital I came here... I needed to see you. I needed to be around someone who could keep me in check."

"Thank god you did." She kissed her forehead kindly.

"I'm sorry I ruined you night, Lee. You must be so tired right now... " a quick look at the clock confirmed her accusations. It was nearly four o'clock in the morning. "I think I... I should get going-"

"-No. You're staying right here, and so am I. I'll text Jess saying I'm busy today, and we'll keep talking, about anything you want. You need to get it all out, and I'm here for that."

"That's not fair of me."

"I don't care. You need to talk to someone, Kara." she raised her hand to caress the blonde's cheek as she spoke. "And besides, I've missed you. Please stay. I'll even order that disgusting pizza you love to eat. For breakfast."

There was a quick silence, followed by a short nod, and a weak smile.

"I'm sorry but 'disgusting?' Triple cheese pizza with pepperoni is a precious gift to mankind."

The reply made Lena's heart fill with joy. This was her Kara. The one who joked around just because, the one that brought out the lighter side of people without even realizing it. It was a shy comeback, but at least it had happened.

"And eating it for breakfast is amazing." The blonde continued with the banter, wiping away her remaining tears.

"Yes, especilly if a clogged artery is what you want."

"Still. It's way better than Kale."

The businesswoman's smile grew wider, and she held the Kryptonian closer to her, snuggling her warm body between her arms.

"I'm so glad you are here." the comment slipped before she could stop herself.

"I'm glad too, Lee."

\---

 _'Fall asleep and forget all your troubles_  
_Dream of laughter and old friends and lovers_  
_Dream of when you were innocent_  
_Dream forever'_

Without realizing it, they fell asleep in each other's arms. Lena was the first one to wake up, at almost one in the afternoon. The sun was pouring down from the window onto both of their frames, but Kara's face was turned towards the wall, and so she didn't even stir.

The CEO took that quiet moment of intimacy as a chance to run her slim fingers through the honeyed mane resting above her chest, and bury her nose in the familiar scent of her hero.

She still was wearing her supergirl outfit, because after all, this had been a really busy night, and they didn't had time for a outfit change. Her hands still were bloody, and her eyes were puffy and sore. Even so, she looked peaceful, and absolutely stunning. A tragic beauty, Lena thought.

"If you only knew how much we love you." The Luthor whispered, kissing her head. "You wouldn't be doing this to yourself."

As if to reply, Kara stirred, moving in closer.

Lena sighed.

"What am I going to do with you?"

 

\--

 _'Lord knows you've been 'round in your day._  
_But this kind of trouble, won't just go away'_

When the Kryptonian finally woke up from her eternal slumber, she wasn't surprised to see that Lena had already crawled out of bed.

She could almost taste the smell of food coming from the kitchen, but a small noise in the direction of the bathroom made her know the actual location of the CEO.

Kara was about to raise up to her feet when the miserable pain in her back started to grow. Already knowing what was going to happen, she tried her best to stretch her muscles - as one does when trying to avoid a massive cramp- but the results weren't great. The burning still proceded, as did the twitching. She couldn't lay down on the bed again, but she also couldn't stand up, so she just remained there, sitting on the edge of the mattress, fighting against her own body, as the sensations spiked and sent her flying to a horrible state of suffering.

"Hey, you're-" Lena walked in the room, face morphing into shock. "Kara, what's going on?"

"Pain." It was her only response as she furiously bit her own teeth, clawing her nails into the blankets. She was pretty sure she would have to buy new ones.

"Where?" The Luthor asked, moving closer.

"My back." She whispered in pure agony.

Already knowing what to do,  having gained some experience in tending her own physical traumas - left behind by countless assasination attempts-, the CEO didn't waste her time and climbed up to bed, kneeling down behind her. She took her hands up to the hero's tense and aching shoulder blades and started massaging.

At first, the Kryptonian let out a few hisses, tears sliding down her cheeks, but after a while, the pain began to fade, and she managed to relax.

Letting out a breath she didn't knew she was holding in, she spoke.

"Thank you." she watched Lena as she moved around to sit next to her.

"Feeling better?"

She nodded and replied:

"I guess I own you an explanation."

"That would be nice." The other woman commented with a hint of sarcasm. "I come here to take you to your bath and find you agonizing over my bed? I swear, you almost gave me a bloody heart attack."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Just... Tell me how long has this been going on?"

"...Ever since I left the MedBay?"

"Kara!"

"I know, I know... I should have said something." She admitted. "But... Alex, and you, and everybody else were scared enough as it were. I couldn't bear to see your faces if you knew I was in pain, if you knew how much my body was, is, failing me. So I hid. I lied. I pretended everything was fine. But as you can see... Nothing is." She paused, running a hand through her face. "I am in pain all the time, constantly. But sometimes, if I move too quickly, or if I am very tired, that pain just skyrockets. And it feels like Lex's whip is hitting my back over and over again."

"You should have said something sooner."

"I know." The blonde conceded. "I know I should have."

The fragility in her voice was enough to make Lena wrap her arms around her, kiss her cheek, and then proceed to bury her eyes deeply into her soul, before mouthing loving words right into her ear.

"I'm sorry if we made you feel like you had to be fine in front of us, or we would fall apart." she said. "Because that's not true. You are more than allowed to not be fine. We can handle it. We just want you to be honest with us."

"I know." she exhaled, finally letting her tiredness show. "I've been wanting to tell you guys the truth for a very long time. I was just scared of hurting everyone even more... Of letting all of you down. Without my powers, without my health... who am I?"

"You are Kara. Our Kara. The bubbly journalist from space that we all love and care about." the Luthor answered, full of emotion. "'Showing weakness doesn't make you weak'. You know who told me that? You, right after I had a full blown panic attack in my office. You calmed me down, made me realize that I was safe, and helped me stand up to my feet again. So let me, us, do that for you too. From now on, please, tell us everything you are going through. We want to help. I want to help."

"You just did."

"Yes, after disaster had already struck." she replied. "What I mean is... Please tell us the truth. It doesn't matter if it's ugly. We'll handle it."

The blonde seemed to consider it for a while. Or perhaps she was just finding the stregth to give her a proper answer.

"Alright..." she breathed in. "From now on I will. I promise."

"Good." Lena kissed her forehead, before raising from the bed. "Now let's get you to the bathroom. You need to clean yourself up. Do you think you can stand up on your own?"

"Yeah, just... Give me a moment. Please."

The raven haired woman agreed with a slight shake of her head, and took the break as a chance to grab her phone. She ran her fingers through her list of contacts quickly, finding the number she was looking for without a fuss.

"Who are you calling?" Kara asked out of curiosity.

"Your sister. She needs to know where you are, and what happened last night, don't you think?"

The Kryptonian didn't reply, just simply lowered her head, imitating an ashamed grounded child.

"Hi, Alex... Are you off duty right now?... Oh, in that case, I need you help with something. It's related to your sister. Yes, she is okay. As okay as she can be, at least; she's standing right in front of me, breathing and in one piece."

"Can I talk to her?"

Lena raised her hand in the air as if to tell her to hold on.

"Well, I'm calling because I need to know if there are any painkillers that work on her, and also because I need you to come over as soon as you can with them. She is mostly fine, I didn't lie about that. But it seems that Lex's influence over her hasn't completely worn off yet; she's experiencing what I think might be nerve pain. Although I don't know for sure if it's chronic... Yes, I know doctor Hamilton did all of the check ups, but you know Kara, she didn't want us to worry; she pretended to be fine... Oh, wait, she's actually wanting to speak with you right now." the Luthor then handled the phone to the hero and slowly sat down on the bed, unsure if she should leave the room and give them privacy, or stay to comfort her.

The answer came when she felt a soft warm touch on her thigh, and looked down to find her hand resting over it.

"Hey Alex."

_"Kara, hey... How are you feeling?"_

The compassion and sweetness in her sister's voice seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. The Kryptonian woman started to sob profusely, barely being able of holding the cellphone against her ear.

"I fucked up, Alex." the inusual vocabulary just pointed out the seriousness of the situation. "I feel terrible, and it's not just physical. I'm so sorry I've been lying to you... I am so...-"

" _Kara Zor-El you listen to me right now_." the woman interrumpted her rambling from the other side of the line. " _You have nothing to be sorry about. You went through something deeply traumatic, then inmediately started working because the city needed you, even if you were in pain. You are the most self-sacrificing, loving, idiot out there. I'm sure that if you lied, it wasn't for your own personal benefit."_

The blonde agreed, focusing on her breathing, trying as hard as she could to regain her composure.

"I was trying to protect you... You had been through so much already..."

" _-Says the one tortured by a psychopath_." The Director bluntly stated. " _You can't protect us all the time, Kara. You need to protect yourself too."_

"I'm sorry."

_"And you need to stop apologizing for things that aren't you fault. It's becoming a problem."_

"I'm-"

 _"If you say that word again I'm making Lena feed you Kale._ "

The journalist let out a dry laugh.

"No! Anything but Kale!"

At the sudden switch in the conversation, Lena made a funny face, lightening up Kara's mood ever so slightly.

" _Okay, Kale's off the charts... For now_." the redhead continued with the joke, removing the invisible weight of sadness from her shoulders.  
At least for a little while. " _I heard about what happened at the robbery last night. A nurse called and told us the man you attacked is fine, and alive._ "

"Oh thank Rao!... I thought I had-... I thought..."

" _He's still being taken care of, but he is awake and responsive_."

"That's great... And a relief. You have no idea."

" _We'll talk more about it when I get there, alright? I'm coming over. I'm gonna find you some painkillers that actually work, and then I'm going to check on you."_

"Okay." she breathed. "I'm sorry... For all of this mess."

_"I love you, Kara. And you mess is my mess too. Never forget that."_

"I love you too."

" _While I don't get there, talk to Lena_." she suggested. " _You need to talk things out._ "

"I'll try. I mean it this time."

" _Good. Take care of yourself._ "

And like that, the call ended. And like that, the crying resumed.

The CEO held her close and caressed her scalp, staying in complete silence, letting her process her emotions at her own pace.

When she finally calmed down enough to breathe, she moved her body so they could be a few inches apart, and said, looking deep into her eyes.

"I'm very proud of you."

"For what?"

"Opening up. I know from first hand experience how hard that can be." She stood up, and taking Kara's hand in hers, guided them to the bathroom. "As you know, in the Luthor household, we weren't allowed to talk about our feelings at all. It was always "repress, repress and repress" until we couldn't feel anything any longer." She closed the door behind them. "Then you came along, melted my ice cold heart into a puddle, and made me open up about my darkest fears and tragedies... It was hard, I won't deny it. But the truth is... It helped me. In a extraordinary way." 

Kara silently nodded, understanding the hidden meaning behind those words: it was an invitation for her to speak up. To unleash her inner demons and let her hauting ghosts loose.

She seemed to consider her next words carefully, before gathering all of her courage to say:

"I want..." she paused, wiping her tears away, even if more of them threatned to come. "I want to tell you everything Lex did to me."

Lena's mouth dropped in shock. She didn't expect her to be so blunt right away. She wasn't complaining about the honesty though.

"Why do I fear there is a 'but' hidden in there, somewhere?"

"Because there is." The Kryptonian admitted. "I want to tell you everything, but at the same time I don't, because he is your brother, and you and I know how much talking about him can affect you... I just... After everything I've done, after everything he's done... I don't want to hurt you anymore."

"Kara." She stopped her in her tracks, grabbing her by the shoulders. "I'm okay with it. I can talk about it. That man? That crazy psychopath?... He stopped being dear to me a long time ago." Her green eyes pierced into her soul, checking to see if she had really understood. "You, on the other hand? I love you. And I want you to tell me everything you want and need. And I _trust_ you when you say you don't want to hurt me. But sometimes, it's inevitable. We've got to hurt, either us or someone else, so we can heal. That's how the world works."

Silence reigned for a few seconds, before being broken by a shy, unsure voice.

" _How_ can you trust me? I still don't understand. I lied to you. I didn't come out as supergirl until hell broke loose... I hid my feelings... I was a selfish coward for so long, how can you trust me?"

"You say you lied..." her tone was calm, but dead serious. "So did I, countless times. And you always forgave me, didn't you?"

"It was different."

"Was it? I was trying to protect you and the city. Weren't you trying to protect me too?"

"Of course I was!"

"Then there's your answer. We were both just two idiots trying to protect each other by lying. But that has got to stop." Lena caressed her face. "I trust you because you trust me. And I forgave you because you forgave me. Don't you ever forget that."

They were so close to each other, they could have easily become one. The delicate intimacy of the moment was something so pure, so utterly full of devotion and kindness, it warmed both of their hearts in a way they never had felt before.

None of them could actually tell who leaned in first, but it didn't matter, not really. Because this was no fight for dominance. This was no dispute of affection. The only intention was to express how much they adored each other. And once their lips met, over the saltness of their still wet tears, it became clear to them both, the adoration, love and respect were more than reciprocal.

"Thank you." the blonde answered, before taking in a deep breath. "I needed to hear that."

"What are friends for?" Lena jokingly said, drawing a smile on the alien's saddened face.

When it faded, Kara looked down, seemingly scared of what would come next.

"I guess then, I should start talking."

"There's no hurry." The CEO insisted kindly. "Take your time."

The hero nodded, and started fidgeting with the sleeves of her suit. She was nervous, terrified, and her throat seemed to have shrunk in on itself all of the sudden. She knew that sensation. It was panic.

She breathed in and out slowly, but only calmed down enough to speak when she felt Lena's hands wrap up over hers.

"... You know, I... I realized that I-I could go on and on endlessly about what happened last night... or e-even about what I've done in the last weeks, but... I wouldn't be solving anything by doing it..."

"What do you mean?"

"This trauma... I need to cut it by the root. I need to touch it were it hurts the most. That's why... I want to talk about... Lex."

"Okay then." the Luthor said softly. "It seems reasonable. Go on."

Kara's eyes watered, and she snapped them close.

"Help me take my suit off."

"What?"

"I need you to see what's left of what he did. Please."

Lena knew, only by looking at her haunted expression, how hard that request had been for her to make. She was lowering all of her defenses at once, willing to expose herself again. Willing to be completely vulnerable again.

Without protesting, the billionaire moved the Kryptonian Woman around, and gently laid her honeyed hair over her shoulders, so she could unzip the piece of clothing easily.

It was anything but.

Once she saw the red, angry, raised skin, she wanted to drop the ziper and turn away. But she couldn't. Because this was Kara, her Kara. And she wasn't going to run from her.

Once the superior part of the suit was off, and the reporter was left only in a bra, she drew a big breath in and dared to touch her back. Understandibly, the hero flinched.

"Does it hurt still?" the question slipped

"No, it's just... Reflex."

"Can I touch you?"

Kara tensed, but agreed nonetheless.

Lena ran her hands over her lower back, moving through her ribs until she reached her shoulder blades, finally letting them rest besides her neck. Then, she proceeded to kiss each damaged area, causing the woman before her to break out in tears yet again.

"Can I take the rest of the suit off?"

Kara nodded, too weak to respond.

Lena proceeded to take the same course of action, determined to prove to the blonde how unwavering her love and attraction really was.

She then stripped out of her own clothes, and filling the rest of the bath tub with warm water, stood before the insecure frame of the woman she adored, whom had turned around to stare at her in awe.

They were both only wearing their bras and underwear, and yet, their eyes never left each other. It was both fascinating and incredibly endearing.

Even though she'd always fantasized Kara would be the one to finally break her out of her comfort zone, and guide them both to a new stage of intimacy, she did have to say, she was enjoying quite a lot being the one in control of the situation. Besides, she couldn't really blame the blonde for not being as dominant as she usually was. Between all of her trauma and fear, it was understandable for her to be as shy and quiet as she currently was.

"You can look down, you know?" the CEO said, walking closer to her. "And if you want me to dress up again..."

"No, please." Kara insisted. "I want this. I want to see you, I just..."

"We don't have to do anything else. I wasn't even going to propose something like _that_ right now, trust me. We are not in the right mindset."

"Yeah, I agree." she let out a dry laugh.

They stared at each other some more, before Lena reached out behind her back, unclasped the bra and let it fall straight to the marble floor.

Kara followed suit soon after, and they both kissed again a few times before they were truly bare before each other. Pulling her by the hand, the billionaire lead them to the steamy waters filled with bubbles, sitting behind her in the luxurious bathtub she herself had designed.

Kara, despite being considerably taller than her, managed to sit in a comfortable position between her legs, laying her head back onto her chest. Having her heartbeat so close to her ear was the closest thing to peace she had felt ever since Lex had been captured.

That reminded her...

"The day I went to rescue you, I was convinced I was going to die." she spoke, quietly. "For a moment I actually was glad Lex had forced me to come out, because if you knew that I was Supergirl, you would hate me, therefore, death would be easier for me to accept. I'd rather die than live in a world where you despised me."

"I would never..."

"I know that now. But back then... I didn't." She stopped, still trying to get a better grip on her erratic breathing. "Alex was the only thing that made me want to survive. But then I let Lex's twisted words get to my brain, and I convinced myself that her life would somehow be better if I'd never had crashed into it." her voice wavered with emotion. "At the end of it all, the only thing keeping me alive were the bombs. I knew I couldn't die before you had defused them. That was the reason of why I was there in the first place, to save you, and buy you guys time. So I fought death until my body couldn't take it any longer. And I... I died, a couple of times. But he brought me back. He'd always bring me back... He'd let me see my father, my friends, and the bright light of Rao bathing us all before he'd pull me back into reality. That, I think, it was the worst torture he could ever pull me through."

"Kara, I am so sorry..." the woman behind her whispered, drapping her arms over her torso. " I wish none of this had ever happened. I wish things would have unfolded differently."

"Me too." she said, feeling a small kiss being planted at the top of her head.

They spent a couple of minutes in silence, before the conversation could continue.

"Do you know what happened before the whip?"

"Not really... No."

"He _electrocuted_ me. With a rock." she continued, tone shifting to surprise. "How is that even possible?"

"Well... when I had Kryptonite on my hands I did a little study on it... To understand it better."

"And?..."

"And yes, it is a rock, but it's also a metal. Sodium Lithium Boron Silicate Hydroxide with Fluorine. The Fluorine itself it's what causes you to feel pain; actually, even humans can get severely hurt if exposed to it's pure form. Lithium is a conductor, and Boron is a semiconductor of electricity. So if Lex somehow managed to use a piece of Kryptonite to create a circut... He could have electrocuted you easily. It's cruel, and twisted... But scientifically, it's possible."

"That... Makes a lot of sense." Kara moved her head slighty so she could look up at Lena. "Thanks for explaining... You always amaze me with how smart you are..."

The raven haired woman smiled, cheeks red.

"You could have found out so much more about that damned rock if I just hadn't been so selfish... If I hadn't made you give up the DEO everything..."

"You did what you did because you were scared."

"Still, it was a stupid decision. And when Alex gets here, I'll talk to her about returning everything to you."

"Kara..."

"No, please. Let me do this. Let me try to make one of my biggest mistakes in life justice, even if I can't fix it."

This was bigger than just a amend between them, and Lena knew it. This was the almighty superhero kneeling down before her, and trusting her with her life.

"Okay then." she agreed, because what else could she do?  
She wasn't refusing a proposal that important.

"Thank you." the blonde answered, chest filled with relief.

They spent nearly one hour in each others arms, the younger Luthor listening carefully to every single thing her brother had done, and figuring out in her head what could she do to help Kara forget it.

After so much talking, they both got dressed in their pajamas - the reporter borrowing the biggest one she had, that still managed to look short on her tall muscular frame-, and went to the kitchen to eat the breakfast/lunch Lena had prepared. Not only had she bought the pizza she had promised, but also had made...

"Oh thank Rao! Pancakes!"

It was almost comical to see the giant tower of food being quickly destroyed by the hungry titan, who she thought, at some point, would end up swallowing her tongue too.

After that, they got a text from Alex, warning that she would arrive in fourty minutes, she had stopped at their favourite take-out place to buy them more food.

While her sister didn't arrive, Kara took Lena to the couch, and snuggling up next to her, decided to take a nap.

Soon, both of them were peacefully laying against each other, intertwined like two lovers should; eyes closed, and hearts still broken, but now a little warmer.

  
' _Darlin', now you're adrift in the deep_  
_So just lay down your head and I'll sing you to sleep'_

 


End file.
